Looking at and drove a C5 2004 vette.

Lemans Blue with shale colored leather interior ($19,000).

First of all the car is very clean. Excellent Pilot Sport tires, inspected, 50,000 on the oddometer, auto with HUD ( perfect working condition and alignment).

The test drive went very nice, crisp shifting trans, no rattles with the top/hatch on. All weather striping seem to be in very good condition.
traction control function both on and off; at least the idiot light did

Seats in excellent condition, no rocking of the seat.

However when idling I did hear what I though to be a slight valve tap from the drivers side; went away while accelerating ( what does this say to you, engine was cold).

Now for the codes; All with an H after them

HVAC B0363, BO 0367

LDCM B2242, 2282,2286,2284, U1026

RDCM B2283, 2287,2285

A6-SCM B2860

Should any of them be a concern. Didn't notice any them on the DIC during my short test drive.

I realyy like this vette and really don't want to spend more than this.

I value your opinions.

Thank you
Bart Zuccala

 

Here is a site that lists all of the Corvette codes for your reference http://www.stengel.net/diccodes.htm

Someone with a little more experience will hopefully chime in and be of more help, but just glancing over them they appear to mostly be minor electrical problems

 

thank you. The battery looks to be relatively new.

How bout the minor knocking noise from the left side of the car?

bad lifter, rods, rocker arms, etc.

Please excuse my ignorance

 

Thank you!

 

CA requires the seller to provide a valid smog certificate to be included with the sale. If any codes are displayed, no certificate.

If PA operates the same as CA, the seller must correct the codes.

Problem solved.

 

Seems like a good deal if condition is nice. As for the codes I didn't see any thing that would scare me away, but make sure you test every single switch and option for proper function. Could have been a bad battery that created these or the problems have been fixed. You can Google the cods to see what others found with them.

 

Thank you for the informative information. Lets say for sake of discussion that the noise doesn't go away after two to three minutes or until the engine warms up.

What would this mean to you as far as a repair is concerned and at what possible expense.

Thank you

 

50,000 miles unless its been dogged, and it doesn't sound like it has, It will be fine. These engines go over 200,000 miles with few problems. For the sake of discussion you could take the engine down and replace the pistons or piston, if you can determine which one is making the noise. Then end up with the exact noise with the new pistons. I don't worry about mine with 140,000+ miles it has the tap for a few seconds also. Go get that car if you like it.

 

With regard to pulling codes AFTER you have cleared any old (H) ones, Do it while the car is still running. If not, they will all show as "H". Good luck, hope there are no real issues and it is a good purchase for you.

 

My 03 Silverado and 04 Coupe do the same damn thing...Couple of minutes later all is quiet.

 

ALLWAYS have a trusted Mechanic inspect a car before purchase if you have any concerns. most of the codes may be due to a low battery charge if the car has been sitting and needed a jump start, i wouldnt worry much about them.. try clearing them in the DIC (youtube will show how) if they come back on then there is an issue. My 2004 has some strange HVAC Codes as well. seems to work just fine so i ignore (no CEL coming on either). If everthing looks good and YOUR Mechanic doesnt find anything wrong to cause the noise in the engine then spring for a 2-3yr Powertrain warranty.. if the motor goes you will get another covered under the warranty. If the cost is afforable then get a Full comp warranty to cover Powertrain/Electronics/Seals & Gaskets and have no worries... PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SECTION LISTED "EXCLUSIONS" to make sure its not a crapy warranty. if its at a GM Dealer then a GM extended coverage is a good one.

S

 

Clear the DTCs and see if any return. I wouldn't sweat the noise. BUT,,,, Use it to your advantage.

Its a negotiation tool. See if you can knock some cash off the asking price. Show him the DTCs and tell him your are concerned about them.

They will most likely all clear and not come back.

I use to be shy about negotiating with people. NOT any more.. I just purchase a 2007 BMW K1200R motorcycle. It was loaded, low miles and in really great condition. Guy wanted $8800 for it

I immediately went to $7000. He looked shocked. He countered with $7500
I said, meet me in the middle with $7250. DEAL DONE! I got a very nice motorcycle for a LOT less than I should have been able to get it for.

Don't be afraid to ask the guy if he will take less.. Start at $17,000 and barter from there.

Sounds like a very nice C5. Start negotiating!

Heres all you need to read your own DTCs:

READING YOUR Engine Diagnostic Codes (DTCs)
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 etc…)
3) Press and hold OPTIONS
4) While holding OPTIONS, press FUEL four times within a 10-second period.

Initially, on-board diagnostics go into an Automatic Mode which 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. ( 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 kinds 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.
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.

Here is very good site of DTC definitions:


http://www.gearchatter.com


Make sure to include the H or C suffix!!








Bill

 

ls motors also have the sewing machine sound to them. It doesn't go away after they warm up.

 

+1 on the piston slap. Mine has been doing it when cold ever since I bought it (50k miles ago). As long as it goes away after a couple of mins, it should be fine.