C5 Tech Corvette Tech/Performance: LS1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Completely dead!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 7, 2011 | 09:30 PM
  #1  
Dave68's Avatar
Dave68
Thread Starter
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Default Completely dead!

Subtitle: Scan those gauges every so often.

Last week as I was scanning the digital readouts on the D.I.C. I saw that voltage was at 13.8. I thought this to be a bit odd as I normally see about 14.1 while the car is on and I am driving on the highway.

Well, that should've clued me because when I went to start my car at the gym, there was absolutely nothing. The culprit was a loose positive cable connector screw. After tightening it up, all is well.

Word to the wise: Take action BEFORE your engine won't start and always have an adjustable wrench handy.
Reply
Old May 7, 2011 | 09:47 PM
  #2  
Tulsa Vette Guy's Avatar
Tulsa Vette Guy
Tech Contributor
Supporting Lifetime
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 406
Likes: 1
From: Tulsa OK
Default

When I check it, my voltage reads at 13.8 on a regular basis.
Reply
Old May 7, 2011 | 10:51 PM
  #3  
Dave68's Avatar
Dave68
Thread Starter
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Default

....time to check those battery connections!
Reply
Old May 7, 2011 | 11:42 PM
  #4  
Bill Curlee's Avatar
Bill Curlee
Tech Contributor
Supporting Lifetime Gold
Veteran: Navy
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Dave

The battery cables are a great first place t look for loose dirty connections.. Other places are on the starter solenoid and on the BATT Terminal on the back of the alternator All those connections will also cause charging issues.




BC
Reply
Old May 8, 2011 | 12:08 AM
  #5  
K9Leader's Avatar
K9Leader
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,103
Likes: 472
From: Newark Delaware
Default

Yes, I had the same thing last week. I had been having trouble with the headlights not opening when they should have and thought I had a bad switch. Then, the car just went dead - unlocked it with the fob, radio came on, I got in and when I turned the key . . . dead. Tightened up the positive terminal connection and everything, including the headlight problem, was back to normal.

Always, always, always check the battery connections as the first step when anything is not working correctly on these cars.
Reply
Old May 8, 2011 | 12:56 AM
  #6  
Dave68's Avatar
Dave68
Thread Starter
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Default

Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
Dave

The battery cables are a great first place t look for loose dirty connections.. Other places are on the starter solenoid and on the BATT Terminal on the back of the alternator All those connections will also cause charging issues.




BC
Thanks Bill and K9Leader. I knew crossing those railroad tracks (at 50 MPH) once per week would loosen something! There should be a spring washer or something similar to keep the bolt threads under tension.
Reply
Old May 8, 2011 | 01:00 AM
  #7  
Bill Curlee's Avatar
Bill Curlee
Tech Contributor
Supporting Lifetime Gold
Veteran: Navy
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Completely dead!





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:08 AM.

story-0
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE