UPDATE: 11/15/2013

Just wanted to give an update in case anyone else has this problem. Replacing the battery and making sure all the terminals were tight still didnt fix the problem.

This weekend I went to LA to meet up with some friends. When I got there, all the guys wanted to take a ride in the Z06. Of course it wouldnt start. This time, no amount of pressing the button would start it.

Luckily the $70,000 Corvette is still a manual, so we push started it. Took it to the dealership and they diagnosed a bad starter. They replaced it and now the issue seems to be ficed now.
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I swear these are the worst problems. I am having an issue with my 2008 Z06 where it wont start when I press the button. The car makes a click sound and nothing happens. It doesnt try to crank or anything. Just a click. After sitting and pressing the button a bunch of times, the car will eventually start with no problem. I replaced the battery just in case. Didnt help. I'm showing 12.3 volts on the DIC and when it does start, it fires right up without hesitation. The batteries are definitely good.

Here's what it looks/sounds like when it doesnt start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nqm...ature=youtu.be
Like I said, after pressing the button like 30 times, it will eventually start and I can get home.


I took it to the dealer and they kept it for 4 days and couldn't come up with anything. The problem is the issue is super intermittent. It can happen if the car is warm or has been sitting overnight. After a short trip to the store or 100 mile road trip. Also, it occurs maybe once every month or so, so even when the dealer tries to drive it around and start it up continuously, they cant reproduce the problem.

Dealer said they could replace the starter, but it's like a $1000 job and didnt want to do it if they couldnt diagnose that as the actual problem. I found the starter online for around 330 bucks. should I just replace it and see what happens?

When it does happen, it sets codes from Crankshaft and Camshaft Sensor..

 

why isn't the dealer chasing down the issue shown by the codes: crankshaft and/or camshaft position sensors ?

either could cause a starting problem, based on other threads about the same...

 

Have you checked the battery connections?
Including the one down at the starter motor?

Easy and cheap to inspect, though the lower one is best done on a lift.

 

This.

 

Check your grounds for connectivity or corrosion. I have had the same problem and I attributed it to computer glitches. I place the ignition into accessory and then go back to start and it generally starts.

 

Will have to check connections at starter. Connections on the battery are super tight and perfectly clean. New Optima Yellow Top battery also.


If I still cant figure it out, I might have to find a new dealer. The place I go to seems just lazy. I had to explain to them that the CEL clears after 3 successful starts. I know that because I found some Chevy service troubleshooting docs on the Internet lol.

 

Check for a broken post on the starter solenoid. If you can wiggle the cable at all, it's probably your problem.

If that's it, pull the starter and your local rebuilder can replace the solenoid for $30-40.

 

doubt this is it (starter, solenoid, ground, more likely) but tell us for sure that you have both of the battery cable nuts that are cone-shaped. if either or both got lost or replaced with regular nuts it can cause an intermittent issue.

see pic #4 here: http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread...attery-Failure

 

Normally I would agree that the issue has been identified by the codes but in this case, both of those will set if the engine is commanded to crank and it doesn't turn over.

First suggestion is to find a new dealer. The one you have now obviously doesn't care. Find a new one even if you find this particular issue yourself.

Second, you are either not getting power to the starter or the starter is not turning. IF the latter the battery cables will get warm after even one try at starting. If they are still cold then the starter is not getting power and it is a connector or the solenoid. When you say you try 30 times to start that would indicate the starter isn't getting power. If it were, the battery would have exploded long before you got to the 30th try. The solenoid is far less expensive than the starter motor but a loose cable at the solenoid is a common issue in cases like this. Unfortunatly due to the high power a loose cable often burns the terminal off and you have to replace the solenoid.

 

Interesting. I do have both cone nuts, but my positive terminal isnt as tight as it could be. I can move it around and pull it off. The ground terminal wont budge.

I'm thinking the positive terminal wont tighten completely because of the power cable for my stereo is interfering causing it not to get a good clamp/lock.



I'll have to see if I can find a better way to connect the amp power wire such that it doesnt interfere with the clamping.

 

Can't do that"" The coned shape nut will never get it tight..I got rid of my connectors last week & put on brass ones,no more problems with starting...

 

Take that amp cable off the battery for a while and see if problem goes away. Make sure terminal is as tight as the negative side.

 

Hey crazed,

If you decide to go back to the dealership, please let me know. I can set up a case for you in our system and assist from my side. I hope the other members are able to help trouble shoot.

Kelly J.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

A loose connection at the battery can be temporarily fixed by removing the connector, cleaning up everything, and wrapping a layer or two of aluminum foil around the battery post. Just don't make everything so tight you need to hammer the connector back on.

 

the computer is not seeing the right voltages from the sensors. either both sensors are bad (impossible) or the computer is (better chance) since the switch does NOTHING the first step would be to chace down all the grounds and them meter out the ECM.

are you sure you are pressing the clutch pedal down fully when you try to start the car? maybe that switch is going bad.

 

Not to be picky, but "super tight" isn't necessarily what you want. The spec on those cone nuts is 71 in. lb., which is actually not very much.

 

I clamp any accessory over the battery terminal tightening nut. You should have enough stud protruding after tightening the terminal down with the factory nut. I bought some regular nuts at the hardware store and went over the factory nut. Just don't apply too much torque to the second nut.

 

Upon re-reading your first post and then Ft.Morgan AL's, I think you can try what he's suggesting esp. since it's a no-start situation. And take off the stereo cable thing, too, after you look at the solenoid/starter area.

 

Next time it's acting up put a volt meter on the battery cables (not the battery terminals) - my bet is you will see a low reading when you try to crank, but will read 12V if measured @ the posts. I've seen that far too many times on vehicles. Pull the clamps off, clean everything, then tighten them properly (get rid of the amp lead).

 

After watching that you tube video a few more times, that's exactly what mine did when the main cable post on the solenoid was broken. After one to ten or more of those 5 second non-starts, the electro-magnet in the solenoid would pull on the nut to make the cable close the connection enough to crank the starter. Most of the time the connection had welded itself and there was no problem, but would eventually break open again and the process would repeat.

It finally broke open too far and I had to pull the starter to replace the solenoid. Thankfully, I was home when it failed permanently and I avoided the tow truck ride.

If you can wiggle the cable at the solenoid post, you have that same problem.