Need help, off to a bad start
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8
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From: Shawnee ks
Need help, off to a bad start
Just bought a 97 vette yesterday, this is my first Corvette. Brought it home pulled into the garage turned it off. I tried to start it fifteen minutes later, won't start. Now I have really cool sculpture in my garage. The radio and HVAC controls didn't work, I discoverd a loose conection in the radio fuse,I tweaked the fuse so it would fit more snug and the radio came to life. So then I tried to start the car to take a look at the HVAC and the car refuses to start. There is power, lights come on, radio plays, fuel pump kicks on, I even some how tripped the alarm. I was hoping someone that knew more about these cars could offer some help.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,258
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From: South
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Sorry to hear of your problems.
Try reading your codes and see what you come up with. Post here and maybe somebody can help. If you get "no comm" for each section of the codes your battery is dead. you battery can run all the stuff you talked about, but still not be strong enough to start the car.
http://www.97vette.com/howto/codes/index.html
[Modified by silverz06vette, 4:14 PM 6/22/2003]
Try reading your codes and see what you come up with. Post here and maybe somebody can help. If you get "no comm" for each section of the codes your battery is dead. you battery can run all the stuff you talked about, but still not be strong enough to start the car.
http://www.97vette.com/howto/codes/index.html
[Modified by silverz06vette, 4:14 PM 6/22/2003]
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Matt
Try giving it a jump start with a car with a good battery. If that doesnt work, like stated above check the codes on the drivers information console ( press the options button and and hold it in and hit the fuel botton four times. The DIC will show you all of the codes. press fuel and trip to show each code in each module.
Bill C
Try giving it a jump start with a car with a good battery. If that doesnt work, like stated above check the codes on the drivers information console ( press the options button and and hold it in and hit the fuel botton four times. The DIC will show you all of the codes. press fuel and trip to show each code in each module.
Bill C
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,045
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From: KC, MO Missouri
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Bill Curlee)
So it turns over but doesn't fire? If so it is fuel or spark. Sounds like it may not be reading your PATS chip in the key? But then it would say remove key and wait 10 sec or such...
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Shawnee ks
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Bill Curlee)
I tried pushing the DIC buttons while I was driving it home, they did not do anything. There was a message on the DIC before I left, it said something about the steering colum needs service. Since hasn't started the DIC has not powered up. I'll check the battery voltage right now.
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Shawnee ks
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Just checked the volts, also a quick jumpstart. The voltage was a little low 11.8 on the meter, but the jump start did not do anything either. It is an automatic. It does not turn over or crank, when the key is turned I hear a relay in passenger footwell and a fuel pump WRRRRR. The DIC is completey dark nothing at all. :banghead:
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8
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From: Shawnee ks
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Could I have freaked out the computer? If I unhook the battery in an atempt to reset the computer, would that work or come back to haunt me?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: KC, MO Missouri
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (gpflepsen)
I think his car is safe for now :jester I agree check the cables and disconnect the battery for a while. If nothing is operating it sounds liek a power supply issue. Sounds like a used car with some significant problems :nonod:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Southeast Nebraska
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Quick Brick)
Sorry, I can't get your vehicles history now. I'll try tomorrow for you.
Brick, yea, it's probably pretty safe tonight. :lol:
Brick, yea, it's probably pretty safe tonight. :lol:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Southeast Nebraska
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Sorry newbie error.....
You can edit your post if you wish.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,483
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From: Wilmington DE
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Matt: There are several things in the starting circuit which could be the problem. First is the battery. Connect a jumper battery to yours to eliminate that as a potential problem. Check all the starter fuses (60 amp). The power to the starter solenoid goes through the Theft Deterrent Relay (TDR). For the TDR close, the trans must be in PARK and the primary circuit of the TDR MUST get a ground through the Body Control Module (BCM), which is a metal box mounted in the passenger's foot well behind the front carpeted pannel. The TDR is mounted just above the metal encased computer module (BCM).
So the potential cause of your car not cranking are: Bad starter solenoid, Bad starter, No ground being established through the BCM (You'll need a new BCM), Bad TDR, Bad "Park" sensing switch, Bad ignition switch, Bad battery, a bad fuse.
From your description of your broblem, it would seem unlikely that it is the BCM that suddently went bad, unless it got wet from AC condensate water. So check out the easy stuff first, battery, fuses, giggle the shift lever. If your passenger foot well is wet from AC condensate water, then your problem is most likely the BCM (computer module). This is a fairly simple starting circuit and it shouldn't be too hard to find the problem. Good luck.
:)
So the potential cause of your car not cranking are: Bad starter solenoid, Bad starter, No ground being established through the BCM (You'll need a new BCM), Bad TDR, Bad "Park" sensing switch, Bad ignition switch, Bad battery, a bad fuse.
From your description of your broblem, it would seem unlikely that it is the BCM that suddently went bad, unless it got wet from AC condensate water. So check out the easy stuff first, battery, fuses, giggle the shift lever. If your passenger foot well is wet from AC condensate water, then your problem is most likely the BCM (computer module). This is a fairly simple starting circuit and it shouldn't be too hard to find the problem. Good luck.
:)
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8
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From: Shawnee ks
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (gpflepsen)
Send me your VIN. I'll check it for any unresolved issues.
Called the dealership (Nissan) where I got it from. After getting the run around from the salesman :rolleyes: , he said there would be a truck there within the hour to pick it up. Mean while several hours later still no truck. I call the dealership agian, this time they can't find the salesman (if I were him I would'nt come back from lunch either), the manager calls back, apologizing for all the run around, and no truck. He says they called the guy that traded the car, that guy SWEARS there was nothing wrong with the car when he droped it off :bs . The manager goes on to admit, that after they received the car it would not start; they replaced the battery, it started they thought they fixed the problem. He admitted they droped the ball and should have looked into the elcectrical system further :skep: . Yeah, since we gave him the list of other things that do not work: radio, HVAC consol no diplay (and only blows hot air on the drivers side and cold on the passengers), key fob only works until the curtousy lights turn off.
:rant: As you can see my rant is now in the off position.
Big thanks to all of you guys that offered assistance. Hopefully the dealership will do the right thing
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8
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From: Shawnee ks
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (gpflepsen)
I have to know, did you get a good deal? :)
$20,500.00
97 model 76,000 miles
Nissan dealer couldnot get it to start, they took it a chevy dealer. That was 6/24, no word today.
[Modified by Matt Oldham, 11:43 PM 6/25/2003]