Hi guys,

Have been reading threads all morning about intermittent starting on a C5, but have not seen any threads with the same symptoms that I experienced in my 2000 MN6 a few times now over the last few months.

Sometimes when I try to start the car, I turn the key to 'acc' and everything's fine (dash lights up, pumps start whirring, etc.), then I turn it to 'on' to crank the car, and the entire car immediately goes completely dark. No "security" light, no headlights, no click from the starter or any relays, it's just completely dead. You can reinsert the key, turn they key back to acc/on, try and change key positions, etc. but the car is completely dead -- no dome lights, no lights on the dashboard, no pumps/starter sounds, no flickering, no low voltage messages, etc., just totally and utterly dead.

If you jump the battery off another car, it immediately fires right up, and shows normal/steady voltage on the battery, and is then fine for another few weeks.

I see the following codes in the DIC:

A0-LDCM - Left Door Control Module code:
B2282 Battery #1 Fault
B2284 Battery #2 Fault
U1064 Loss of Communications with BCM
U1255 Serial Data Line Malfunction

B0-RFA - Remote Function Actuation codes:
C2110 Right Rear TPM Sensor Malfunction

The left door control module tends to not lock, and the TPM sensor in the right rear tire doesn't get a reading, so none of the codes strike me as unusual?

The battery is only about 8 months old; I replaced it after the first few times this issue occurred, and it has continued happening, so it doesn't strike me as a battery issue. I'm trying to narrow down the likely/potential suspects so I don't throw parts at the issue.. but from all the threads this morning, it doesn't appear to be the battery, or a bad ignition switch.

Where should I focus my efforts? I am thinking about replacing the TDR since it's such a cheap fix (anyone have a how-to on that?) or concentrating on the starter/solenoid. I would have thought if it was a starter/solenoid failing, that it would happen a bit more frequently than just once a month, but perhaps it's just the early signs of it.

Obviously I have more troubleshooting to do, but the car is working fine at the moment.. so if/when I get the issue to recur, where should I begin my troubleshooting?

Anyone ever seen symptoms like that?

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
-Mike

 

Sounds just like a POOR BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTION ISSUE!!

Start there. See if you can easily MOVE one or BOTH of the battery cable on the battery. If you can,,, BINGO! They MUST BE CLEAN AND TIGHT Torqued to 12ft/lbs and when there properly torqued, they will not move by hand.

The other area that may be causing the same issue is the starter solenoid:

 

Thanks Bill! Just torqued the cables, and we'll see if the problem happens again.

Can you recommend a good starter replacement tutorial? Lots of pics would be good, since I've never done that before.

 

I had the same no start issues 3 times over the last 12 months. 2 weeks ago I started getting "charge system fault" errors as well. Turned out to be burnt contacts in the ignition switch.

 

this may help

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...rter-pita.html

 

^^^ This....
I did the Bill Curlee ignition switch repair this past weekend, and problem GONE!!!

Cudos to Bill -

 

Start with the simplest and easiest solution first. Since you have replaced the battery it makes sense that the cables might not have been torqued properly. It DOES make a difference. Make SURE they are 11 or 12 lbs/ft. If you replaced the battery with an Optima then have the battery checked. They are notorious for going bad quickly, especially if you do not drive the car much and you do not use a battery tender.
From the posts that I have read it sounds likely that you have an ignition switch issue. Do a search and read all the posts that Bill Curlee has made regarding the diagnosis and replacement of this item. The codes might suggest that you have a grounding issue so I would check the grounds at all locations. Again, do a search for the many detailed posts regarding this. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for the input, everyone!

I am definitely doing the ignition switch repair this weekend.. but am curious if someone can point me to a good post on how to get that thing out. I've read Bill's post on how to do the fix once it's out, and I see a few posts that have text instructions on how to remove it, but does anyone know of a thread that shows pics on how to do the removal?

Just looking at those threads makes it seem like getting the switch out is not exactly simple. I'm pretty handy with a wrench but that doesn't look like a small/easy job. For the folks that have done the removal, any tips?

 

If Bill Curlee is reading this he will probably send you all the information you need. If he does not chime in, there is a sticky at the top of the page that I believe contains the tear down and replacement of the switch. Good Luck.

 

Hi guys,

Just buttoned the car back up after working on it the last few hours.. most of the contacts were incredibly burned, so I got that all cleaned up. Will let you know how things go over the next few weeks, thanks for all the help!

 

Sooo, the hilarity continues.

Yesterday, I did the contact cleanup, but there was a slight issue -- when I read the tutorial, I thought I needed to take the key cylinder out of the whole module When I got it out, and eventually realized I didn't need to, I then had to take the whole module apart to get the key cylinder back into the metal sleeve. That meant separating the module with the contacts from the black housing that has the key cylinder/sleeve in it, at which point the five springs and prongs fell out

So anyways, I put it all back together, clean up the contacts, and put the car back together. Start the car up and it starts fine (!) with no codes, runs great and everything's good all night.

This morning I get into the car, and I've got a dead battery. Sounds to me that I hosed up something in that module which is causing the car to believe a key is inserted and electronics should be energized, which drew on the battery all night and killed it.

Any thoughts on what I might have done? Seems to me that if I take it to a shop for fixing, they just need to replace the ignition module completely, while keeping the key cylinder that's coded to my key, right?

 

Yea,,, one of the switch contacts in the switch that SUPPOSE to be OPEN when the ignition switch is in the OFF position is staying closed. So, one of the HOT when ON & Start circuits is still being powered.

You can use your ohm meter and figure it out as I have a drawing in the rebuild post that shows the switches in different positions.

BC

 

Thanks for the response bill. So when I turn the key to OFF, and I see all five studs raise (as expected) and see all five arms not making contact.. so that is not good enough? There is still something inside the switch making contact that causing a wire to go hot?

It has been like a decade since I used an ohm meter.. where should I put the leads to test? On the switch itself, instead of testing the contact points under the cover? Am I looking for voltage or ohms or..?

 

What you see and what actually happens inside the switch can be two different things.

The ONLY way to check and see if everything is working correctly is to check continuity.
Remove the switch and use pins A & B and with the switch in the OFF position, check A & B to the other contacts and see if they are still making contact with A & B.

If the switch rings out good,, you will have to figure out what circuit or component is causing your issue.

BC

 

Thanks Bill. So essentially, with the key in the OFF position, put a lead on pin A, then touch the other lead to the five contacts, and there should be no voltage, right? (Then repeat for pin B.) Any voltage being conducted between the two with the key in the OFF position indicates our problem component, right?

 

If it were me,,,,,, I would REMOVE the switch and OHM out the contacts.

If you want to do a voltage test, you will need to test all the OUTPUTS of the IGNITION Switch to GROUND. If there is a voltage on ANY of the switch circuit feeds in the OFF position,, the switch is at fault.

Pins A and B are the 12 VDC battery voltage supplies (Hot at all times) to the switch.



Bill

 

paging Bill Curlee Paging Bill Curlee

Hi Bill ive heared your the man to talk to im having a issue with my hud and dic lights
staying on can you help me out let me know whats going on or is this a dealer repair i like
to do all my own stuff but im kinda in the dark and dont know what to do thanks.

 

X2

new ignition switch fixed all my issues

 

Another 4 year old thread...