Fixed!!


I finally got it down to the Chevy dealership & gave them the low down on what "I knew" about the problem, thanks to you guys for all of my knowledge of troubleshooting this problem! Anyway, sure enough they called me back & said it was a short in the ignition.

$341 later I have a sparkling new ignition switch & problem is solved!!
I would have been sick over the fact of $341 for just a switch but at this point I am just glad to have it working!! I think it was $210 for labor so it wasn't light on the wallet.

Something I was not expecting is that the car idles better now as well...odd but true, it runs smoother than before.

I would have been sick over the fact of $341 for just a switch but at this point I am just glad to have it working!! It working better than before is a serious bonus!

Thanks everyone for your input & concern!! I hope my problems can help someone else solve their issues as well.

 

I am not sure if my problem is the same or not, but something wierd is happening with my 02 vette.
Last summer my battery died on me. I replaced it with a canadian tire motomaster battery that was supposedly the equivalent of the ac delco that came with the car. I had a bit of trouble getting the ground cable to connect. It was almost like the bolt wasnt quite long enough. After some finagling i finally got the bolt to grab and tightened it. For some reason if i tightened it too much the hood light went out, almost like it was losing connection. If i loosened it a bit the light came back on and everything worked fine. For a while........
After a few weeks i noticed the display on the radio and lights on the dash would flicker a bit while i was driving. After a few more weeks, the car wouldnt start, and i had to charge the battery. The battery charge indicator had always shown 13 or 14 volts, never a discharge. This happened many times throughout the summer. Then i parked the car for the winter. This summer i reconnected the battery with more success than last year. It tightened very nicely and worked for a few weeks, until i noticed the display was flickering again. Then one day the battery died again. Someone on this forum suggested a copper washer to ensure a solid ground. Could this be my solution? Otherwise what could be the cause?

 

I'd look at 3 places for this issue .....

1) Battery connections. The cables need to be tightly connected to the battery ..... if you can wiggle them at the connections, you will have problems. However, bad battery connections will affect the ENTIRE car ..... the engine will miss/die when the connection is bad.

2) Check the connections at the starter motor. The way the Corvette is wired the main power feed from the alternator goes first to the stater, then to the battery. Check that the connection (POSITIVE feed) at the alternator is good. Wiggle the positive cable, the connection is close to the exhaust system, and some people have found that while tthe connection to the post is good, the post has internally failed and is loose inside the solenoid housing.

WARNING - The positive connection is HOT at all times ..... either disconnect the battery when checking these connections, or be aware that you should not provide a path (such as a wrench) connecting any metal part of the car to the positive wiring.

3) The most likely candidate is your ignition switch. Here is an EXCELLENT post from Bill Curlee that details how to rrepair your ignition switch yourself .....

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...gnition+switch

Often ignition switch problems are caused by using a 24 pound key chain .... you have your ignition key on a chain with house keys, keys to your cousins homes, a skate key from 1958, and a key to the house you sold 18 years ago. Your ignition key should have nothing more than your remote key fob attached to it.

 

Just for archive info,my battery was also the exide orbital

 

okay, so the day after i posted, i almost got stranded on the road. I stopped somewhere, and when i tried to start the car it clicked once or twice and wouldnt start. I popped the hood and loosened both battery cables a little bit, and then the car started fine. I took it home and hooked it up to the charger, and it showed the battery was very low. I charged it up and it is working fine now. Every time, it works for a few weeks, then i start noticing my dash lights dimming, especially when i click on my signal light. Usually when it gets this bad, shortly after, the car wont start.
The voltage meter always shows that it is charging, and yet it seems like it actually isnt. If it is a ground somewhere i am not sure where or how to check it.
Because it started when i loosened the battery cables, is it likely that they are my problem? Is it possible that the vette battery cable bolt is too short, and maybe not going in the battery post properly?

 

Sure sounds like the cables aren't connecting properly. Remove them from the battery and look at the plastic cover on the connection. Some people have found that the plastic cover makes contact with the battery before you achieve metal-to-metal contact. One person found that putting a small washer over the bolt allowed for better contact. You'll figure it out once you see how it is "supposed" to make contact.

Good luck,

 

IF You tightened the battery cables -- MAY-B You didnt--- TRY to MOVE THE CABLES SIDE TO SIDE --- SOME Screws will NOT let the cable pull the cable tight BECAUSE the SCREWS ARE TOOOOOOOO LONG
get a shorter screw !!!!!! about $2.00