Okay so I need to vent a little. I have great fun driving my Corvette but it sure is testing my patience lately, and the last straw was the death of the EBCM...

42k on the odo. *sigh* Okay here is the laundry list I will be bringing to GM with my GMPP:

Cold start: Car will crank but not fire, it takes about 5 mins to get it to start and then it idles like it is firing on 6 or 7 cylinders. No codes.

Engine Coolant Temperature: I have mentioned this to other Corvette owners and so far I am the only I know of that has experienced this. After getting warmed up the car will all of a sudden go to zero (0), or no reading, on the coolant temperature. This will cause the car to go into open loop and idle around 2k rpm. If driving when this happens, as it can happen while waiting at a light or while driving, the car will surge and when it self corrects after a minute or so stall or almost stall. Also since it has been cold I know this is occuring mainly while having the defroster on and the air from the vent goes into jet wash hot. The car will then right its ECT and start to overheat for a few seconds then just go back to normal like nothing happened. My initial thought was a ECT sensor going bad... and meant to change it...

High RPM misfire: First seen on the dyno, diagnosed as a loose plug wire and then we thought righted. Although the car has started to do it if I wind out 2nd getting on the freeway, anything around 4.5k rpm under load and the car starts skipping and the MIL starts flashing. A quick pull over to a safe area and a DIC diagnostic always shows 0300 (random misfires), reset and the problem will usually go away. This is hit or miss and only does it occasionally. Had planned for new plugs and wires... BTW after this happens and the car cools down I always check and can no longer find any loose plug wires... Figured it was a fouled plug or bad wire, I just haven't had the time to pull them and check...

Service ABS, Active Handling, Traction Control: Straw that broke my back this morning and has me on here venting... Started car, and get the nice little "dinger" bells saying your car just FUBAR'd itself... Checked the code on the DIC and got the infamous C1214 H C (History and Current) and it won't reset. Changed the oil today with the German Castrol I always use and it did the ECT problem above like three seperate times and once for a mechanic friend who said "This problem is serious and could get you hurt!"

Then there are the annoyances, clutch that committed Seppuku, D/S rear Exhaust hanger that just did a David Copperfield and disappeared, and lastly it feels like the 2nd gear synchro is going...

I have great fun driving the car when it isn't being a PITA, but seriously today I just wish I can drop it off at the dealership and the darn thing would freaking catch on fire!

Anybody else want to shoot their Corvette?

Oh if anyone is curious here is what that darned misfire looks like on the dyno (in blue):

 

Clean the key pellet,discounnect the battery for a minute,hook it back up-clear all codes and drive it to see what codes come back

 

The coolant temp sensor is known to cause all sorts of problems with the PCM, you might want to replace it and check the electrical connections to it.

 

You can get the EBCM module repaired for $150 @ the ABS Fixer.

 

Make sure you take Bill Curlee's ground cleaning class and perform that. Then, check your positive connections at the battery, starter and alternator. The grounding issues will cause gremlins exactly like you have. Your EBCM could be fine and you just have the ground gremlins! Many mechanics will just want to throw parts at problems like this, so be careful!

 

I haven't had so many problems as you've had, but I did have the EBCM problem. I cleaned a couple of grounds on the frame just behind the left headlight and no more EBCM problem. Clean grounds are very critical on these cars and can play all sorts of havoc with normal operation. A manual to locate all the grounds and a little emery paper to clean the grounds should probably help most of your problems.

 

Ill bet the ECT sensor is going hot then cold and causing your enging to run rich or lean or both all over the place. I would replace that first.

 

EBCM replaced... Dealership also reflashed the PCM because the fuel trims were found to be off (probably an aftermarket tune from the previous owner for a cam or bolt-ons)...

 

So how is the car running now?

 

Which dealer ... Putnam in Burlingame ????

 

Man, there are a LOT of problems that your trying to sum all together. You need to start in ONE place and fix that problems ONE AT A TIME!

Start with the most serious (effects the engine the most) ETC. A LOT of C5's have had ECT sensor or connector wiring issues. Start with the plug that connects to the sensor. Examine the female pins in the female plug. Make sure that the little fingers that grips the MALE pins in the sensor are not damaged and provide a good tight connection on the male pins. GM used really poor female pins and they some times deform and loose the spring tension and make poor contact. Next check the wires that go into the female connector and make sure there not broke. Then inspect both connector/plug for corrosion.

Until you get that fixed, its going to cause the car to run poorly.

Cold start issues:

When you turn the ignition switch to IGNITION ON,,,,you should hear the fuel pump RUN for about 3-5 seconds and then STOP! If you DON'T hear the fuel pump run,,,,it NOT going to start! Been there done that and YES, the car was ready to be BURNT!!!!!!! The problem came down to BAD CHASSIS GROUNDS! Once the grounds were cleaned, the car ran like it was NEW! See my sticky "IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL INFORMATION (LONG)

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=896875

You will see what I mean!

HIGH RPM MISFIRE:

If I were you I would change the wires (yea, I know,,they still look good) to a new set of GM Performance Red Wires. You can get a complete set from Gene Culley www.gmpartshouse.com There about $50. for a complete set. If you have not changed the spark plugs or not sure of there condition. remove them and examine them. Look for cracks in the insulator. fouling and over gap wear. They should be gapped at 0.040".

If the wires and plugs don't fix the miss, we will go from there. Its either a plug,,wire, fuel injector problem valve spring issue or compression issue. Were starting with the simple things FIRST>

CLUTCH!

Change the clutch master cylinder fluid! You might need to do this a bunch of times to get some clean fresh fluid into the system. If its BLACK and NASTY, thats BAD. Keep changing the fluid once or twice a week for a while and see if that helps. Nasty fluid has been documented to cause clutch issues. Hell,,, its simple and cheep.

EBTCM

Thats a SYSTEM in it self and the issues your seeing normally indicate that the Electrical portion of the module needs to be removed and sent to Brandon at ABS FIXER or replaced with a new one. If you have an extended warranty, and the deductible isn't too bad, that might be an option. Having the module fixed is $150 and comes with a life time warranty. With a NEW module, you need to know that this will happen again one day (module has crappy DELPHI relays! )

Before you do anything, remove chassis ground G-101 and clean the single eyelet wire under the main ground connector tab. That is about all that you can do to self remedy that problem. Each time you turn the ignition OFF that DTC and EBTCM SYSTEM resets its self. The DTC will pop back up once the EBTCM detects the problem again. LOW Battery voltage can also cause this issue.

Hope this helps. Im at work and cant post any pictures or I would have included a bunch.

BC

 

Well all of the EBCM issues are definately resolved. Apparently the airbridge was slightly disconnected so it was allowing in unmetered air, but I have only driven the car home and so far so good...

Boardwalk in Redwood City.

 

Bill thank you very much, it gives me a lot to work with!

My EBCM has been replaced with a brand new unit thanks to my GMPP, the other issues I think I will have to resolve again as they come up. I had already planned new plugs and wires... I will check the grounds and the ECT harness when I get a chance!

 

I'll be interested in your "experience" with them .....

I bought my Z06 from Anderson in Menlo Park back in 2000 (Anderson, as you probably know, is gone now) because when the Z06 first came out (2001 Model Year available in July/August of 2000) I called around trying to find one. Virtually every dealer I spoke to said they didn't have one, but wanted me to come in and order one.

Except for the guy I spoke to at Boardwalk ..... he claimed he had EXACTLY what I wanted "on the lot" and since Boardwalk was 5 minutes or so from my house, I drove over there ... only to discover that not only did he NOT have a Z06 "on the lot" of ANY kind .... he did not have a single Corvette on the lot. In fact, the sales guy was clueless to what a Z06 was back then ....

My wife (now ex-wife) has had nothing but trouble with the Boardwalk Jeep service department ..... maybe the Chevy side is better, but my impression is Boardwalk is a true "stealership" ....

I'm not a friend of the folks at Putnam in Burlingame, I've had a couple of "issues" with them, but I will say they do seem to "try" and get the job done right.

Maybe Boardwalk has come around ... I'd like to know ... if they are "good" I can practically walk home after dropping off my car there .....

 

I got my car from Courtesy Chevrolet in San Jose, but they are a bit far away for anything to do with the car. Boardwalk is right down the street from me as well, so when it came time to have the car flatbedded to a dealership they were the closest solution. So far they have been great in helping me get my Z06 back on the road and I have so far been pleased with their service. They used to sponsor CF, but I don't know if they do anymore, regardless I deal with Justin Mills and he has been very good about getting the car back to me quickly and with good work done.

I guess it is like any dealer though, I only trust them so much, but as long as I have a GM warranty they have been good about getting the issues handled.

Much to my chagrin I have had to deal with them a couple of times with the Z06, but it has always worked out in the end... Our Camaro on the other hand has never been back to a dealership for anything... In 2001 I almost bought a 2001 Camaro SS from Anderson, but we ended up with a 2002 from Raines Chevrolet in Sunnyvale (both I believe are gone, actually I think Raines just changed names)...

The Camaro's GMPP is over, so we do all the work on her, and all of that has just been upgrading, no problems with the car yet! *knock on wood*