2002 C5...Help!! I too am having the no start issue like Ive seen posted on here by others. It started one day with what I thought was a low battery issue. Went and bought a new battery and it started up. Moved it to a different location in the yard, turned it off and now it wont start again.. I tried cleaning the key, and all the other quick fixes. Im normally alone so its hard to do alot of troubleshooting. when I turn the key over, all the guages light up like normal, no flashing security light or anything abnormal. This past weekend, I had my son try to start it with the hood up where I could possibly tell more about what was going on.. with him trying it, and the hood up, I could hear a relay closing inside the black relay compartment beside the battery. My thinking is the starter/starter solenoid, but before I jump into that erroneoulsly, would there be other things to check first? Thanks in advance!!

 

your issue seems very similar to mine.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-t-start.html

 

First I'd make sure that the battery connections on BOTH ends are shiny clean...you may have to get underneath and remove the battery ground and positive lead at the starter solenoid clean them up with a small wire brush or emery cloth and reinstall !!….good luck !!

 

YEP! Start at the battery terminals. If you can ever move a battery terminal on the battery by hand, it is TOO LOOSE. It also needs to be clean and bright!

Then look at the battery connection on the solenoid. It too needs to be tight and clean

If all that pans out, you most likely need a new solenoid. It requires starter removal and most people just install a new or reman starter.

Our solenoids are notorious for causing a NO START issue. Have someone hold the key to crank while you THUMP the starter /solenoid with something. If the mechanical agitation causes it to crank, you have your culprit!

Bill

 

What relay am I hearing in the box clicking when the key is turned? Im assuming if I'm good there, the problem would be downstream, i.e., the starter or starter solenoid? Anyone have any suggestions on an easy way to get to the starter to "peck" on it? Problem is the car is sitting in the yard and just trying to jack it up enough to get under it looks massive...

 

Just helped someone with the same problem, the culprit was a bad TDR, it is located above the BCM in the passenger footwell area, in his case the TDR was clicking when the key was turned to the start position, but the contacts where not sending power to the starter solenoid.

 

I started troubleshooting this problem about a week ago as mine was VERY intermittent. No crank and only heard relay in passenger foot-well.
It has been doing it off and on for a few years . Usually it would start after a couple of tries so I wasn't hard pressed to resolve it because there were times it would go months without a problem.
Well, it started doing it more frequently so it was time to check it out. Thanks to Bill Curlee, C5 Diag and mmartinez's many posts on this issue. after duplicating it and seeing my security light go out I started at the starter to make sure I had 12V at "B" which I did. I next put a meter on A2 (purple wire) at the theft deterrent relay in the pass. side footwell because it was easier to get to than the starter and used the cig lighter as my ground. When it wouldn't start I still had my 12.7V on the relay which means my clutch pedal switch and the Starter Enable Relay Control on the BCM are ok. So I went down to the starter and had my 12.7V at "S" on the starter solenoid.
Soooo, now I have a starter on order. Hope some of my info also helps.
-Al

 

Thank you so much for the help. I will check into this and post back the results..

 

Just whack the starter and see if it will start!

 

Bill, great old school diagnosis process. I do similiar 'testing' like this all the time.

 

LOL that was my first thought too. Is there an easy way to access it to hit on it without jacking it up? I cant get my fathead underneath it to even see...when I lift the hood with my son trying to start it, I'm hearing a relay clicking around the battery area. Am I hearing the TDR possibly, or is there another relay in the box beside the battery that would be coming in??

 

The TDR is in the passenger footwell near the top. It has 4 wires. 2 of the wires, red and purple are heavier gauge. These are the wires to the contacts. The thinner wires are to the coil in the relay.

 

I have headers but, I uses a 3 foot rebar and tape it up with electrical tape and snake it down from the top and whack the starter.

 

THANK YOU Ill give that a try this evening..

 

Is the car in a place where you can't work on it? I only ask because it's obvious that you are going to have to replace the starter and solenoid anyway, that entails lifting up on jack stands disconnecting battery, removing the exhaust flange bolts and bolts that attach pipes to the body of the car to gain clearance to wiggle the starter out. I replaced mine a few years back and didn't have to much headaches, or you can hopefully start it and drive to a shop and have them replace the starter and solenoid.

 

Yes!! Its sitting in my backyard, and getting it up on jackstands and working on the ground is gonna be a booger. Im still holding out hopes that its the TDR relay. I havent had time to check it yet..Thanks!!

 

I'm done with jack stands !!...you have to get yourself a Quick Jack if you can afford it !!

 

 

Ok guys. So yesterday afternoon I thought Id tinker with it a couple minutes. I opened the passenger door and got down by the floorboard to listen for the TDR relay in the footwell. I could reach the key and turn it over. Everytime I turned the key, I could hear the relay clicking. I did this maybe a dozen times, then it bumped over, then the next time started. Then it was starting everytime I turned the key. Would you guys opinion be that the relay needs replacing? My thinking is it finally closed to send power to the starter solenoid.

 

Replace the TDR with a new one, their not very expensive, and if the intermittent no crank problem happens again, then you will have to replace your starter solenoid.