I have a '98, 6-speed with 31K and all stock.

Symptoms:
It starts quickly then dies. This gone from infrequent, to every time, cold or hot, over the pasts few months.
On second restart it would usually continue running, but even now it will die. The only way to start it is by giving it a little throttle as soon as it starts.
Once finally started it seems to idle and run fine and doesn't show any other problems. It also doesn't set any error codes.
This used to be a rare problem, now becoming more frequent. I'm afraid to start it anywhere outside of my garage for fear of being stranded.

What I've tried:
New battery and air filter. Tried starting after several minutes from "ON" position (let the fuel pressure build up).
Disconnected the MAF (suggested in S/M to see if would start?)
No difference.

Strange, but may not be related:
When it dies, the entire dash is blank (no warning lights, messages or gages) as if it was turned off but in ON.
No error codes set when the MAF was disconnected.

Please give me some other suggestions to try.......Thanks

 

So you've pulled no error codes correct? Weak fuel pump? Do you have a rough idle (like it wants to die)?

 

Looks like your #6. If I had to guess, I would say you also have what looks like a bad ignition switch!

There have been 5 other people with similar issues and that was the problem. If i were you, I would look in that direction.

Try wiggling the key a little bit to CLOCK WISE and then COUNTER CLOCK WISE while its in the "RUN" position and see if that makes a difference!

The electrical "SWITCH" portion of the ignition switch is easy to change.

Please let me know if that helps.

Bill C

 

Heres one of the post that explains one of the switch issues:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1916823

 

I appreciate the help, but how is giving it "a little throttle" fixing the possible ignition switch problem?

 

maybe an idle air controll?

 

Have you seen an idle air control problem cause a complete loss of instrumentation?

 

Damn,,,,Lucky,,,,,You almost made me ruin my LAPTOP! I just about coughed UP a whole mouth full of soda when I read that one!!!!!

Damn good reply!

BC

 

I didn't think that it is. I "BELIEVE" that it has more to do with if the ignition switch will let it run or not. Either way, you need to see if moving the ignition key a little bit left or right effects the issue. Then you will know.


You stated:

Strange, but may not be related:
When it dies, the entire dash is blank (no warning lights, messages or gages) as if it was turned off but in ON.

That my friend has ignition switch written ALLLLLL OVER it!

When that happens, see if manipulating the switch causes them to come back on.

BC

 

yea i might have but sorry for trying to give ideas and help out

 

Sorry for what? If you have, then explain the situation and how it was resolved.

 

I was thinking maybe a gunked up throttle body that might be hanging up and not be cracking open on start up, hence needing to give it a little pedal, but the inst. cluster blanking out does point to the ign. switch. I had a very intermitent no start issue that wound up being an ignition switch. When you get it to happen again, try wiggling the key to see if it gets you anywhere.

 

I tried a couple things this past weekend.

Cleaned the inlet side of the throttle body. It really wasn't dirty and seem free and closed with a strong spring.
With the ignition on, I observed the opening and closing as my wife operated the accelerator pedal. It all looked OK.

Put it all back together and this time I turned the key to start several times without pushing in the clutch. I could hear
the fuel pump run for several seconds then stop. I never hear it run while in the "on" position. I don't know why it only
runs for a few seconds then stops. I would then release the key and repeat.

On start, the same thing.....fires then dies and the dash is all blank. Second hit no start. Third time, gave it throttle, and it continued to run. Again, once running, idles and drives fine.

Tried again to restart after it had warmed up. This time no fuel pump running sounds when key is turned to the star position with clutch out. Cycled this several times before attempting to start. On start, the same thing......fires then dies and the dash is all blank. Second hit this time continued to run.

I'm puzzled on the fuel pump running conditions.

Is the blank dash just some odd condition the computer sets because the starting sequence was not completed??
I've never gotten the blank dash in the "on" or "start" key positions, but only when it fails to continue running.

What goes bad in the ignition switch to cause this starting issue? (I haven't tried the wiggle test yet)

Any other tests to try.........Thanks

 

You say .....

I haven't tried the wiggle test yet

So you come ask for suggestions, Bill Curlee recommends you try the "wiggle test", and you ignore that and continue to "play" with diagnosing the car ????????

When you've tried the test as Bill listed, then let us know .... he's right 99.9 percent of the time, and in this case I agree with him (FWIW) as the loss of your instrument panel sounds like an electrical shutdown.

Either try the wiggle test, or quit asking for "Any other tests to try" .... why should we recommend tests when you're gonna ignore them ?????

 

Got it.

Am I wiggling it in the run position to see if the dash goes blank or once it goes blank does it come back on?
Or wiggling prior to attempting to start?

 

Try starting it ....

If it starts and runs ... see if wiggling the key causes a sudden shutdown .....

If it starts and then shuts off .... see if wiggling the key causes the dash to activate (you'll see warning lights) .....

Basically you're checking to see if the ignition switch is the cause .... usually if you see the dash go out with the engine it is the ignition switch because it is basically the common "connection" between the dash and engine.

If you had, say, a bad engine ground strap and the engine dies, the dash stays active and you see warning lights ....

If something powers off the dash (say a bad connection) the engine should keep running .... the fact you are seeing both occur at the same time is .... effectively, the same as if you turned your ignition key to the OFF position.

 

There is the ground strap on the rear of the driver's side head too. If its come loose, it won't run. Another thought too, if you can locate the fuel pump relay, take the cover off and one of you could manually push it to the closed position, therefore determine if the the fuel pump is the cause. Again though, via the ignition to the PCM will allow that relay to close and the fuel pump to run.

 

Unlikely it is either a ground strap to the engine, or a fuel issue, as in either of those cases his gauges would continue to work .... you'd see warning lamps for a stalled engine .... but the OP says his dash goes off with the engine.

 

Looks like I might have found the "smoking gun".

I tried the wiggle test last night.

After it started, then died, I tried moving the key to see if the dash instruments would come back on. The key clicked into a detent but no lights.
When I went to start it again I noticed the dash come back on as I turned the key toward the start position. It had actually been in the "Acc" position!!

Repeated attempts confirmed this. When I release the key after starting, it is sometimes springs back past "On" and is in "Acc" or in between the two,
which is turning off the engine!! I have never seen or hear of such a thing.

Bill Curlee was correct again.......I should have gone down that path sooner.......Thanks for the suggestion.

Next question is how to repair it without having to change the keys and locks? It also looks like a lot of the interior needs to come out to access the
ignition switch. I wonder what actually broke in the mechanism and with only 31K miles? Would lubricating from the outside be of any short term value? Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I've seen this happen before, and every time the owner had about 5 pounds worth of crap on their key chain.