2002 C5 head swap won't start..please help!!
01-20-2013, 06:46 AM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
2002 C5 head swap won't start..please help!!
Hi I put a set of 243 heads on my dad's car. I have done this on two other Vetts including my own with no issues. The car wont start. I have fuel pressure to the fuel rail but the plugs are dry. I also could not get a spark out of the plug I removed using several parts of the car for a ground. All of the grounds are hooked up including the one on the back of the head and I have checked the fuses under the hood. I have not checked the fuses behind the passenger kick panel. I am frustrated and it is late so I am going to bed but I was wondering if anyone has had this issue. I am going to pull the intake off tomorrow and make sure I did not pinch a wire but I really don't think I did. I know that it is easy to do and I made sure they were out of the way before installing the intake. I know it is an electrical issue that I somehow caused but I was wondering if anyone else had done this and had the same problem that could point me in the right direction...Any help would be appreciated...Thanks...Rick.
01-20-2013, 11:07 PM
#2
Instructor
Thread Starter
Fixed
just wanted to post a quick note in case this happens to someone else. I figured out why the car would not start. Checked all connections again and could not find anything wrong. Ran codes on car there were none. Removed intake to check for pinched wire it was all fine.I looked up the ground locations to see if maybe somehow I knocked one off or broke a wire. On the passenger side when I looked behind the exhaust manifold I could barely see a frayed wire. When I jacked the car up and looked underneath and all of the wires for the crank sensor,oil level and ground were melted. When I installed the heads I just unbolted the manifold and moved them away from the heads so I never saw behind them. Had to solder two wires back together and re tape the other three. Obviously this has nothing to do with the head swap but someone had replaced the starter in the past and but the wiring on the top side of the starter cable when they reinstalled it way to close the the exhaust manifold. when I moved the manifold it must have moved the wires so they were touching. I am sure this has happened before but but just wanted to mention if you replace the starter make sure you rout the wires away from the manifold when you install the new one. Car started right up runs great......still not sure why it had no codes seems like it would have with all of the wires touching.
01-21-2013, 04:23 PM
#4
Advanced
Betcha Dad is HAPPY!
just wanted to post a quick note in case this happens to someone else. I figured out why the car would not start. Checked all connections again and could not find anything wrong. Ran codes on car there were none. Removed intake to check for pinched wire it was all fine.I looked up the ground locations to see if maybe somehow I knocked one off or broke a wire. On the passenger side when I looked behind the exhaust manifold I could barely see a frayed wire. When I jacked the car up and looked underneath and all of the wires for the crank sensor,oil level and ground were melted. When I installed the heads I just unbolted the manifold and moved them away from the heads so I never saw behind them. Had to solder two wires back together and re tape the other three. Obviously this has nothing to do with the head swap but someone had replaced the starter in the past and but the wiring on the top side of the starter cable when they reinstalled it way to close the the exhaust manifold. when I moved the manifold it must have moved the wires so they were touching. I am sure this has happened before but but just wanted to mention if you replace the starter make sure you rout the wires away from the manifold when you install the new one. Car started right up runs great......still not sure why it had no codes seems like it would have with all of the wires touching.