Firstly, I'd like to say, I sometimes hate posting threads since it usually is always answered in another thread, that I overlooked in my searches but I think I may have found some possible solutions but before I start pulling apart things I figure I ask... I'd also welcome pointing me to a thread that answers my questions if there is one.

Anyway, I drove my car all day with no problems, no starting issues, nothing. I go to the gym, and then leave to my house which is only a 5 minutes drive. Stay inside for maybe 10-15 minutes then I go back out and try to start my car... and here's where the problems start.

When I turn the key nothing comes on, doesn't tell me "corvette by chevrolet". Lights flicker but everything shuts off. When I go ever further with the key as if I'm trying to start it, there's clicking noises, presumably the starter. So I figure OKAY, check the battery, battery is fine. So then I disconnect the battery maybe to reset whatever my problem is, go to turn the key one position at a time, everything turns on as it should, until I go to actually start the car and it's just one giant click. So i release it an then all sorts of noises start happening from inside the car, buzzing, clicking, whirring sounds. I try to roll up my passenger window and there's a clicking noise about every half second, and the window goes up ever so slowly.

After disconnecting the battery, it does everything correctly one time (up to the actual starting part), then it reverts back to doing nothing besides making fast clicks and weird sounds.

I read this may be an issue with the Theft Deterrent Relay? My question with that, would be is that usually an "all of the sudden problem" or are there any warning signs?

Also read that it may be the key itself? I tried cleaning it with alcohol pads, no effect.

I am not inclined to believe it's the starter considering a couple things... I had no issues with it slow starting, or cranking for a while before it starts, and also all these other weird sounds are not coming from there.

Currently I am charging the battery. Going to see if I can pull the TDR to see if there are any visible signs or damage.

Thanks in advance.

 

Okay, right now I have the ignition to "on", and it's acting normally, I'm just waiting to see if I can pull a code since my buttons work intermittently so I have to wait til it works to pull the codes. Right now the security light is on, and I read that's a huge indication of the TDR being bad? So should that be my first step?

 

well i dont drive mine very often, and when my battery is dead it kinda acts the same. lights flicker, and the starter solenoid clicks, but nothing. charge your battery/ take it to an autoparts store and get it checked. that is the first place i would start.

 

A good chance it's the battery. This happened to me. No problems with car started fine in the morning. Went to work shut car of, came out to go to lunch cars dead just clicking noises. DEAD BATT that fast out of know where. Batt was around 4yrs old. Good Luck

 

It seems your battery is the culprit. Before doing anything else, take it out and have it tested. Even if it's reading acceptably after you charged it, you need to know how it behaves under load.
You said that everything goes fine one time until the point where you try to start the engine, then everything goes down. That's because that's the point where the battery is loaded with the starter and it seems it cannot handle the current demand.

Note: do not charge the battery while it is connected to your car. Take it out, or at least disconnect it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using IB AutoGroup

 

Also, make sure the batter cable ring connectors are fully seated and tight. Sometimes if you use those anti-corrosion pads, the clamp can't fully seat, preventing an adequate ground or positive voltage source from spinning the starter.

 

Battery is getting tested now. After charging it all night, I checked the voltage, around 13v, so I connected it back up and figured I would try it again. This time when I opened the door there was a whining noise coming from near the fuses on the passenger floor, and when I turned the key nothing happened through each of the positions, except ACC acted kind of normally, by turning on the radio. Then ON everything shut off, and then turn to start just the fast clicking...

Still battery? If battery checks out, any other ideas what this could be?

 

Also check Bill Curlew's post on cleaning the ignition switch.

 

Here's the link to that- http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...ch-repair.html

 

Turn on loads that DO NOT use the ignition switch Example: Head Lights and Horn. If they work normally, YES, it could be the ignition switch.

Bill

 

It was the battery. Luckily under warranty. I don't understand why and how a battery will go bad just like that with no indications of there being an issue. Oh well, bad battery. Thank you everyone for the advice and helping out.