A little bit of information about the car.

Year: 1999
Make: Chevrolet
Model: Corvette (FRC, hardtop)
Miles: 99740 on the body and roughly 40k on the replacement engine

Problems I've found that the seller on this forum didn't mention to me at the time of purchase:
- Didn't bother to change the oil at the time of sale (the DIC says low oil level)
- Engine coolant is leaking or something because the DIC says low coolant
- Wipers don't work (the connecting rod to the motor had completely fallen off when I looked under the hood)
At the time of purchase, it wasn't raining but when I started to drive home, the rain was falling hard and that was really unsafe.

Although he didn't mention the wiper not working, the seller did try to help me out by providing pictures and how to fix it but there was a lack of tools (being on the road and all with a newly purchased car)

I'm sure I'll find other things wrong with the car but so far I really love the car besides these problems.


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So what kind of maintenance should be performed on the car regularly?
What kind of oil brand should I use to change the oil (same for the coolant)

Thnx!

 

If the DIC says low oil and coolant, then check the levels and fill them up!! You don't want to be driving with little oil!! Are you finding a puddle of coolant under the Vette when you leave it parked for a while? Coolant leaks are common...often the overflow bottle has some micro fractures or the water pump is leaky...Indy

 

I'm back on base right now so my friend is doing all the work right now to it for me to pick up tomorrow. I'll check for the puddle, I've only seen this car in the night time lol.

I'm not the greatest with technical stuff on a car...I took auto-body in high school as a part of my technical education..should've taken automotive. lol

 

All of your problems sound pretty basic at the moment. Top off the coolant and the oil and monitor the levels. If your not sure of the percent oil life remaining,,,just change it and reset the oil life monitor.

DO YOU HAVE AN OWNERS MANUAL? If so, I highly recommend reading it and picking out the critical information that your ging to need to operate and maintain your car properly.

Do you realize that you have a built in Diagnostic Code Reader??

If not heres how to access it:

READING YOUR Engine Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)

This procedure should be carried out any time you experience a problem with your C5. Most inexpensive store bought aftermarket code readers will ONLY read power train DTC’s. Reading the DTC’s with the C5 built in code reader will allow you to read ALL the modules in the vehicle.

The Diagnostic Display Mode is entered with the following procedure:
1) Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine.
2) Press the RESET button to turn off any warning messages. (i.e. door open, trunk open ect)
3) Press and hold the OPTIONS button
4) While holding OPTIONS, press FUEL button four times within a 10 -second period.

Initially, the on-board diagnostics go into an Automatic Mode which will cycle through each module and shows diagnostic codes in a pre-set sequence: PCM - TCS - RTD - BCM - IPC - RADIO - HVAC - LDCM - RDCM - SCM - RFA. All codes will be displayed for each module. ( i.e. PCM = 4 codes) If none are present in a given module, you will see No More Codes on the display.

There are two types of diagnostic codes, Current and History designated with a letter suffix, “C” or “H”. A current code indicates a malfunction is present in the module displaying data. A history code indicates a problem existed sometime in the last 40 or 50 ignition cycles. When not accompanied by a current code of the same number, it's potential evidence of a previous problem, now resolved, that was not removed by clearing the codes. More likely it's an indication of an intermittent malfunction.

Intermittent codes are the most challenging of the diagnostics. An intermittent code may have happened once, may have happened more than once but is inconsistent or may be happening on a regular basis but not at the time the codes are displayed. History codes can also be caused by a current malfunction in a system that is not operating at the time codes are displayed. An example is the rear window defogger which doesn't operate until the Body Control Module detects engine rpm. For history codes set by a module that does not operate with the key on and engine off, a special diagnostic tool called a Scan Tester is necessary to properly diagnose the malfunction.

Once the system has displayed all modules, it goes into the manual mode which allows selection of each module using combinations of Driver Information Center buttons. Manual mode can also be entered during the automatic sequence by pressing any button except E/M. Once the display shows Manual Diagnostics, select a module by pressing the OPTIONS button to go forward or the TRIP button to go back. Once a module is selected, a code is displayed, and if more than one are present; press GAGES to go forward or FUEL to go back.
To exit the diagnostic mode at any time, press E/M. If you want to erase codes in a given module, press RESET To reset the codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until it displays NO CODES Press OPTIONS to go to the next module. Repeat the steps until you have reset the codes in all the computer modules.
NOTE!! Only reset the codes IF you want to - it is NOT necessary to do this. Clearing a code does not repair a problem. You are simply erasing the evidence of it in the module's memory. If you clear the code/s, and extinguish the Check Engine Light, your emissions status ready will NOT allow you to pass an emissions test until you have completed the required driving cycles. There are a few body module DTC’s that if set will prevent the module from operating properly. Once the DTC is cleared, the module will return to full function. This is not true for power train DTCs.

If you have never read and cleared your codes, there will probably be a lot of old history DTCs. It is recommended that you clear your codes and see if any come back during a driving cycle. Those are the ones that you need to concentrate on diagnosing.

Once you have the codes, the next question is: What to do with the information?
First, consult the factory service manual. Any serious C5 Do-It-Yourself owner should invest in the Corvette Service Manual of the appropriate model year. The Service Manual is really a requirement if you want to understand and work on your C5.

These are some very good C5 Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) explanation web sites!!! They also explain how to read the DTCs

Here are some very good sites that explain what DTC mean:

http://www.gearchatter.com/viewtopic11755.php

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

Make sure to include the H or C suffix when you post your DTCs!!


If you dont have an owners manual,,,NO EXCUSE,,,,you can down load a PDF Copy of it here for FREE.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...ual-links.html

BC

 

You don't really know about cars and you only saw it in the dark before you bought it-MAN, you were asking for to get taken. Did you overpay for it too? LOL

 

If you dont mind me asking How much you get your hrdtop for? Where you located? you sound like your a soldier.

Thanks,
Paul