Cannot start my 2002 C5. Please help!!!

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Mar 5, 2015 | 08:01 PM

#21

JR-01

Le Mans Master

Joined: Sep 2013

Posts: 8,900

Likes: 1,074

From: Wisconsin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud

Didn't we do this a couple weeks ago? Interior/underhood lights still on are worth a couple tenths drop...
In any case, 12.3V should still crank.

Looks like it didn't.
From another thread......

Quote:

The C5's minimum battery voltage is critical to start. A minimum 12.5 Volts unloaded is necessary.

Mar 5, 2015 | 09:17 PM

#22

Lee DeRaud

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 2,012

Likes: 23

From: Anaheim CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-01

Looks like it didn't.
From another thread......

Quote:

The C5's minimum battery voltage is critical to start. A minimum 12.5 Volts unloaded is necessary.

I didn't say "start", I said "crank".

But I'm not entirely sure that 12.5V thing is true: my old battery was 12.2V after I took it out of the car to put in the new one. And that was after a round trip to Pep Boys (two starts) to buy the new one.

We probably won't ever know in this case. OP's symptoms were a classic "loose battery clamp" scenario, where there was plenty of voltage, but not enough amperage. BTDT. I'm wondering if he took the battery back out of the car to charge it (can't remember if that year has side or top terminals), and got the cables on properly when it went back in.

Mar 6, 2015 | 09:54 AM

#23

JR-01

Le Mans Master

Joined: Sep 2013

Posts: 8,900

Likes: 1,074

From: Wisconsin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud

I didn't say "start", I said "crank".

Could be. I do know C5s are very sensitive to low voltage and have seen other cases on forums where a weak battery would not kick in the starter relay. Bad connections were definitely a possibility. I have gone through that on other cars. Whenever a car won't crank, battery terminals and battery condition are the very first things to check.