pulled into a gas station...went to start...nothing.

i f'd around for about 90 minutes trying my backup key...waiting three minutes with it in and out, hooking and unhooking the battery and just about every combination that i could do.

i can't tell if my starter gave up the ghost or my security is killing the ignition. i swapped the ignition relay with another similar one and a guy says he could hear the relay clicking when i tried to start it.

battery is new/good.

a very cool guy down just north of chambersburg, bob, white c4, convert, drove me home. damn that passenger side is tough to get in and out of. if you happen to know this guy, he is think'n about getting into mini-sprints. long shot, but if anybody can help him out...that would be really cool. i gave him some cash even though he refused it, but i still feel that i owe him.

any thoughts before i have it hauled to the f_ing dealer?

thanks.

 

I'd get the battery checked load tested. I had a battery that checked out OK initially, but still would not start the car. A load test showed there was an internal problem. Put a new battery in and started fine.

 

if we rule out the battery, what would be next?

in my experience, with a dying battery, i at least get some "click click click" but no motor turnover.

this is different. i turn the key and nothing at all.

 

Do the dash lights come on when you turn the key? You could have a bad ignition switch.

 

Check the grounds.

 

I had a park/neutral safety switch do that once, cycle it into neutral and try to start, back to park and try to start.

 

"Do the dash lights come on when you turn the key?"

yes.

"Pull your codes and post them:"

it only has one code in there and that one has been in around for years. P0522. that's the engine oil pressure switch, which is bad.

"I had a park/neutral safety switch do that once, cycle it into neutral and try to start, back to park and try to start."

it is a manual. i guess that it is possible that the switch on the clutch went out, but it has done this security shutdown before. i'm really not thinking it is the clutch switch.

"Check the grounds."

this is probably the problem, since the problem is really hit and miss. no consistent set of conditions can replicate it. my car is an all season daily driver and the grounds don't look so great. is there a ground specifically associated with the ignition and/or security that i should check first?

thanks for the replies guys.

 

I would send BillCurlee a PM. He's the resident electrical guru.

 

Call me

PM SENT! This is an easy issue but it can go in many different directions.

NO STEALERSHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BC

 

much thanks bill.

 

side conversation...8vette, that is a really nice looking hood form factor. can that be run in the rain or is it a dry weather only deal?

 

Give this a try.

Read and post your DTCs. If there are a bunch,,,, CLEAR all of them and then try to start it. If it fails, read those DTCs and post them. Have someone turn the key and attempt to start the car. Then,,, whack the starter and see if that promotes it to start.

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.

NOTE and a WARNING. You can read the DTCs while the engine is running. I pull mine up all the time while driving.
WARNING. Don’t become distracted while reading DTCs while your driving and cause an accident!!!!! Use common sense and drive safe.

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!!


BC

 

Told you Bill's the man

 

Try and push start it, that should tell you if its the starter or clutch safety switch.

 

got it towed back yesterday. didn't feel like dealing with it today.

i'm going to get some rebar and pound on the starter tomorrow. my right door window has something of the same issue. it has been problematic since i bought it. i can't tell if the motor is bad or there are other bogons in the system. sometimes i pound on it and it comes back to life. othertimes not. sometimes i disconnect the cables and it comes back to life, sometimes not. when i press the switch, the lights dim a smidgen just like they should when power is going to the motor, and when i have it all torn out, the motor seems to work fine. argh. maybe i just need two new motors...one for the starter and one for the right door window. the symptoms are the same for my starter as for my right door window.

well, thanks all around. thought i'd share a story. yesterday a guy in a pickup drove up a crossroad and a storage container fell out of the back of his truck. the storage container was sitting in the middle of the left lane on a two lane each direction road, ~50mph. one guy crashed into it and knocked items all over the road, then just kept going. it was sunset and hard to see. my instinct was to get that thing out of the road before some inattentive or novice driver caused a very serious accident. the guy stopped and was picking up items that had flown out of the container and i stopped and was watching traffic for him. then, i called out to him, "you got it?" he responded that he needed help. together, we picked up the storage container (it was too heavy for one guy) and carried it across and out of the street. he was very grateful that someone stopped to help him. everybody else just drove past. little did he know that i was more grateful than he was. the gift was mine. that's thanksgiving.

bill was very kind to offer to help me work through this. i'm going to grab a voltmeter tomorrow and see what we can do this weekend.

thanks guys.

 

thanks 8vette. i'm kind of surprised that current designs keep so much heat under the hood given how destructive heat is to components and power. i'd like to see these things run much cooler. by the way, where did you get that hood (aka 'bonnet' for our euro friends)? the form factor looks really bada$$.

 

thanks cammin. bill offered to help me out.

 

Your door may be as simple as disconnecting the connectors and tighting up the female pins.. The small toung that makes contact with the male pin may be smashed down making poor contact. Any vibration will make it work for a little while. Give that a try.

Pop the accordion tube out of the door and door frame and fish the connectors out of the door pillar.





The power plug will need the most work.

BC

 

Dam, i thought the story would go more this way..., "we opened the box and it was a bunch of C5 supercharger kits from Paxton"

 

Yea,,, I too was waiting for the REALLY COOL ending where you found money or cool stuff.

I found a box in the road once. When I went to move it it was heavy. WOW! Something cool! So, I threw it in the trunk and headed home. Opened the box when I got home,,,, It was an entire case of file cabinet hanging folders from Staples.

BC