Hey everyone, new to the place and about to buy my 3rd vette it's a 2002 convertible but the only thing is the owner told me the dash has weird lights so I asked for a pic, this is what she sent:
[img]webkit-fake-url://bc8d0ddf-d74d-4619-8cd2-421be3a522ea/imagejpeg[/img]

 

Galaga?
Weird, never seen anything like that. It'd worry me. If I were her I'd unhook the battery for a few hours and see if it comes back. What does the DIC pull up for codes?

 

I was going to guess Space Invaders.

 

LOL!! That was my immediate thought.

Could be because of a LOW BATTERY or a bad ignition switch giving the IPC Low power.

Ask her to read and post the DTCs. That will give you a good idea on if there is a power issue.

Look for voltage related DTCs.

READING DTCs

READING YOUR Engine Diagnostic Codes



The Diagnostic Display Mode is entered with the following procedure:

1) Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine.
NOTE! You can read the DTCs with the engine running and or driving down the road but it can distract you. BE careful! Some DTCs clear themselves when you turn the ignition OFF!
I always read my DTCs prior to turning OFF the ignition switch. If you have any messages on the DIC,, PRESS RESET until they are gone!

2) Press the RESET button to turn off any warning messages. (i.e. door open, trunk open ect.)
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 C code indicates a malfunction is present and active 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 English/Metric (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 and hold the RESET button 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. You can GOOGLE the DTC and also find information on it.




Here is very good site that explains the DTCs:


http://www.corvette-web-central.com/C5DTCcode.html


http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...d-ii-codes.php



Make sure to include the H or C suffix!!

 

Yeah it definitely brings back some old-school games icons! I'm not sure she's checked it for codes but she also mentioned that it may need a tuneup and when I asked her to send me a video it sounded pretty bad but her husband sent me a video hours later after putting good gas in it and it was much better. It's a beautiful car though and has a clean title it just makes me a little bit nervous about pulling the trigger

 

Thank you for all the information Bill!

 

Get a good price.

If they have to upgrade the gas from normal to sell the thing, a dippy dash may be only the beginning. Plus the crabby old guy in me wants to really kick sand in your cornflakes, what if the guy is a good photographer and his wife just drives the car without care.She keeps it clean, but now it doesn't run well.

Hopefully you can get a good deal on the car because of a few easy maintenance items. At my skill level, any electrical problems would spook me, and have me looking for another car.

However, a good body is much more important to me than the running gear. It's the money, cosmetic work to a factory level is more money and harder to find the mechanical help.

I went with the good body, what's that noise buying plan and saved some money .
Compared to buying the same car with a good clutch. It had a noise that sounded expensive, I don't think the seller was interested in putting money into a car for sale.

It turned out that the pilot bearing was missing in action. I had no clue , but took a chance, I knew the market that GM builds its yank tanks for, and it is abusive. How bad can it be ?

Well, about a thousand bucks to look at the pilot bearing hole and knock some dust out.
After repairs I came in about two thousand bucks under market. So about break even on the risk, barely enough gain to justify an unskilled judgement on a used car requiring high end maintenance, but I needed some wheels fast. Can't complain, could have finished with an above market cost, I had no idea about the corvette product line. Luckily I got a good one.

 

I love Galaga.

 

that's nice

 

ANY UP-DATE?????

Bill

 

With what that is showing on the DIC display, I would say it needs a new IPC. One question to ask, do the door chimes work. If they sound like the speaker is under water that will confirm the need to replace the IPC.

I have done a couple of these recently for issues with the buttons on the right side not working. They don't last forever.

Gary