Dalannex

So on my 99' I keep a schumacher battery maintainer hooked up all the time. (hooked up with alligator clips) To disconnect it I unplug the 110v from the wall, then disconnect the alligator clips. Prior to doing this the car will start right up just fine. After doing the unhook I turn the key on, get no codes, all lights work fine, but when I turn it to start it doesn't do anything. No click, no turn over, nothing. So then I put my big battery charger on it for a little bit at a 10 amp charge and it starts right up. I can let the car sit in the parking lot or sit in the garage for days without starting or charging and it starts right up. Something with unhooking the maintainer is causing some sort of a start lockout.

Any helpful hints or advice? What do you guys use for batter maintainers?

-Justin

dgrant3830

Sounds like your battery is done. How old is it?

jovette

Justin, I use a Schumacher made unit, just like you. Believe I bought it at Sears. Anyway, never have had the problem you describe on my '00. Have you tried disconnecting the alegator clips from the battery first before unplugging the maintainer?

hotwheels57

Send a PM to member Bill Curlee, he's the electrical guru...

Gideon's_Test

This might be a battery ground issue. I had a similar issue with my '84 Buick...Just a thought. Trace the gound wire to the frame and make sure it's tight and not corroded. Also, check for corrosion at the terminal connections.

Bill Curlee

Your battery is most likely toast. Most likely because its being charged wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy tooo much. Have the battery tested . I bet it only holds a surface charge and fails to hold deep charge.

I would also check you battery connections. The battery cables need to be torqued to 11 ft/lbs to correctly compress the cable into the battery terminal.

BC

Dalannex

So are you saying my trickle charger is the problem? If so what is a good product to use? I have a new battery to try in there. I will put that in tonight.


-Justin

bestvettever

Hi Justin, First, is the schumacher an automatic battery maintainer, or a manual trickle charger. If it's is the manual trickle charger, the battery has probably been constantly overcharged and is not able to hold a charge anymore due to a heat caused short. If it is an automatic maintainer and the battery is OEM from 00 the battery has probably gotten to it's planned obsolesence point and needs to be replaced. Eight years even on a maintained battery is about all you will get on most batteries.
By the way if it is the manual trickle charger, get an automatic maintainer and you will get better life out of your battery. Any decent maintainer will work well, ie:Battery Tender, Battery Minder, Schumacher Automatic Maintainer or others. I use The sears maintainer and the Battery Minder, both work well and have for many years. I tend to like the new Battery Minder because it has the capability to rejuvenate a sulfated battery by pulse charging. Very good for agm, or optima style batteries, equally as good for conventional water flooded batteries..
Good Luck...

Dalannex

Here is some info I found on my Schumacher WM-1562A battery companion.

"the Schumacher will apply up to 1.5 amp until battery voltage reaches 14.4 volts and the charge current decreases to .5 amp, at this point the internal voltage reference will change (indicated by an amber color LED that changes to green) to 13.2 volts, at this lower voltage reference the charge current is typically .001 amp"

This should work fine. And the battery is not the original GM battery. I don't remember what it is or what the date is on it though. I'll check when I get home and post that info here.


-Justin

bestvettever

Hi Justin, It sounds like you have the automatic maintainer, and if it is functioning properly it should keep the battery charged. While you are looking at the battery and date, you may want to check the volt level. Unhook the charger. Put the lights on for a minute and then after you turn them off wait a half hour or so. Then use a DC volt meter and check the volt level, this can give you some indication as to the strength of the charge level. It should be in the 13's volt level at least. If it is low 12's or lower it is not holding a proper charge level.Could be the maintainer stopped functioning properly, or the Battery is sulfated to much to fully charge anymore. Try a known good battery for a few days to find out or have it load tested at an auto store. Also I'm sure you know, but I'll mention it anyway, make sure that your connections are tight, and that there is no corrosion on the terminals or cable ends, both at the battery and starter and ground ends, and in the strands of the cables themselves , even a small amount can keep it from charging and getting power to the start circuit.
Good Luck

Dalannex

I just put a brand new fully charged battery in and went to start it and it does nothing. All of the lights come on but when I go to start it does nothing.

Earlier today my wife couldn't get it to start so she gave up. Just before she went to leave it started right up. She drove it 20 miles or so, shut it off 3 or 4 times at different stores, then went to a meeting at work. After the meeting (a couple of hours later) she went out and it started right up to drive home. She parked it in the garage. I got home an hour later and it wouldn't start. So, I changed the battery with the brand new one and it still doesn't start. Any ideas???


-Justin

Dalannex

Here's what I did to get it to start. The car only came with one key. The dealer sent me another key blank that I had cut at my local chevy dealer. I had that key cut. It worked fine when I got it home. The new key is my wife's key. That key must be bad part of the time. I was trying to use the new key and it wouldn't start. I waited the 3 minutes and used the old key and it started right up. I then started it again with the old key. Then I switched to my wife's new key and it wouldn't start. I waited 3 minutes and started it again with the old key and it started right up. BUT, the thing is that when my wife got the car to work today she was using the new key so it does work some of the time. Any ideas on what to do now?


-Justin

BlackZ06

Dump your codes .... most likely the VATS pellet is borderline for your car .... do you have a DMM to test the resistance of the two key pellets ... they should be the same.

Also try taking the new key and cleaning the contacts .... use a pencil eraser to "burnish" the contacts, then clean with alcohol or electrica contact cleaner.

WWhen it won't start .... What is the state of the SECURITY light ???

Bill Curlee

Justin

If you truly have a good battery, there are a number of things that can cause this problem:

- Poor Battery/Starter electrical connections

- Defective neutral / clutch safety switch

- Defective starting /theft deterrent circuits

- Defective starter/solenoid.

Do you have an Automatic or Manual tranny??

If you have a manual trans, turn on the ignition and go to the CRANK position. When it doesn't start, press the clutch all the way to the floor and let up on it slightly (1/2 way) then press it back to the floor.

If you have an Auto, slip the shift lever in and out of neutral.

As you do this, listen for a relay clicking in the passengers foot well. That is the theft deterrent relay. That relay connects the starter solenoid to 12 VDC 60 amps.

The starter solenoid connects the starter to 12 VDC battery current 400-600 amps.

Figure out if the theft deterrent relay is clicking and then we will go from there.

Did you check the battery cables and make sure they were correctly torqued??

BC

Bill Curlee

100% Correct!! If your having SECURITY Issues, that THEFT DETERRENT relay will NOT click when you press and release the clutch or move the selector lever !

BC

Dalannex

OK, when I get home tonight I will try switching keys and watching the security light when I do that. How is the security light tied to the key? If I have the correct key the light will stay on or go off or what? Could this be a problem related to a bad ignition switch (like I have read so much about on here)? I will also listen for that relay on the security system.



-Justin

dgrant3830

The chip in the key is a simple resistor. Your BCM is programmed to accept only the correct resistance from the chip as there are many different ones. If your spare key was not created using the correct chip in it, the car shouldn't run. The iginition switch as a set of contacts within that connect to that chip at which time, the BCM will measure the resistance and see if it matches what is in the EPROM memory. If the security light doesn't go out or is flashing (someone correct me if I'm wrong please), it won't start. The Theft Detterent Relay will not turn on allowing the starter to run.

Dalannex

When you say dump the codes are you talking checking the codes with my autotap OBDII scanner? Would the codes from all of the different modules show up on there?

So when I put the key in the ignition the security light should go out if it's the correct key. It should also flash if it's the wrong key?

I will check the resistance with my DMM on both keys tonight. The thing is that the new key obviously does work part of the time.


-Justin

Bill Curlee

Justin

You do know that you can read all of the cars DTC using the internal C5 DTC scanning soft ware? Right?? You really don't need a scanner or aftermarket soft ware to read and clear the DTCs.

Just in case you don't:

This is the absolute best C5 Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) web site!!!

http://www.corvettedoctor.com/Code_Main.html


www.corvettedoctor.com

Go to “technical data base” and then to “Corvette ECM Computer Codes”. Then select your year car. Read the instructions and then scroll down to the "READ MORE" window to view the code definitions.\

Here is another very good site:

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...d-ii-codes.php

or

http://www.gearchatter.com/index.php
Look under LS1/LS6 DTC Codes for you year C5!

Make sure to include the H or C suffix!!

BlackZ06

Bill Curlee's post above gives you some good places to learn how to use the DIC to dump the DTC data.

The "problem" with scanners (unless it is a GM Tech2) is they can't "see" DTC data in modules such as the BCM, SDM, and RFA. Security problems, such as a bad VATS, will set DTC but your acanner can't see them. But if you use the DIC, the car itself displays the codes from ALL the computers. This function is SO POWERFUL that Chevy removed it from the C6 ... owners of that car are at the mercy of the dealers for diagnosing non-engine issues. Some larger non-dealer shops have a Tech2, and even some private owners of them ... but since the "starter kit" Tech2 sells for about $4,000.00 new, there aren't a lot outside the dealer/large service shop world.