Chevy won't help with starter problem, help please
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
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Chevy won't help with starter problem, help please
This is a follow up to last week. To make a long story short, my vette intermittently won't start. It just makes one click. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. Alternator and battery both tested good, So I took it to Chevy.
The exact same thing happened under warranty. Same
Symptoms same everything. It was the starter. They replaced it with no problems over the last year.
I told them the issue, how I thought it was the starter/solenoid etc. they insisted on scanning the codes to which none were shown (as there shouldn't with a starter).
They have had the car over a week, they claim "everytime we go to crank it, it cranks" and claim they can't check the starter unless they can get the car to not crank. I find it all very hard to believe considering the past two weeks it has only been cranking 1/3 or so of the time.
So what do i do? I have basically begged them to check the starter, they won't. I know it's a matter of time until it doesn't crank and ill have to get a tow. Any help is much appreciated. I absolutely hate the dealer. Especially Chevy, never had any luck with them it seems
The exact same thing happened under warranty. Same
Symptoms same everything. It was the starter. They replaced it with no problems over the last year.
I told them the issue, how I thought it was the starter/solenoid etc. they insisted on scanning the codes to which none were shown (as there shouldn't with a starter).
They have had the car over a week, they claim "everytime we go to crank it, it cranks" and claim they can't check the starter unless they can get the car to not crank. I find it all very hard to believe considering the past two weeks it has only been cranking 1/3 or so of the time.
So what do i do? I have basically begged them to check the starter, they won't. I know it's a matter of time until it doesn't crank and ill have to get a tow. Any help is much appreciated. I absolutely hate the dealer. Especially Chevy, never had any luck with them it seems
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Tonawanda New York
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
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I guess I just don't want to be wrong about the starter and be out more money ya know? They are already wanting to charge me $100 for simply scanning the computer for codes.
Race Director
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From: Henderson Nv-Rohnert Park/Sonoma C o. ca/born in NY Rockaway Beach.
As for the 100.00 pay by Amex and then file dispute and move on... this is prime vette time get your car fixed and drive
Thread Starter
Instructor
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The starter was replaced under warranty, car went out of warranty 6 months ago. Chevy is telling me that since the starter was replaced under factory warranty it voided out the part warranty on the starter. Bunch of nonsense. They wanted to charge me almost 1,000 for a starter. I think I'm just going to order one I found offline for $89 with a lifetime warranty. I just feel that the starter should be covered I mean its not even a year old
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2014
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From: Below the bottom of Berby Hollow, NYS
The starter was replaced under warranty, car went out of warranty 6 months ago. Chevy is telling me that since the starter was replaced under factory warranty it voided out the part warranty on the starter. Bunch of nonsense. They wanted to charge me almost 1,000 for a starter. I think I'm just going to order one I found offline for $89 with a lifetime warranty. I just feel that the starter should be covered I mean its not even a year old
Thread Starter
Instructor
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$129 and get $40 back for the core. Isn't that about the same price as RockAuto? I've heard a lot of people recommend them
Safety Car
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From: Pinellas Park Fl
St. Jude Donor '08-'09 & '12, '14
no brainer
Race Director
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From: Huskerland
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Just get your car out of the stealership as fast as you can and never darken their door again. Next you need to find a good honest independent wrench and have him check out the system. Do you have headers on the car....back in the day the heat sink from those could mess up a starter if it wasn't shielded in some fashion.
Get in touch with the local Corvette club and as them who they trust to work on their cars.
Get in touch with the local Corvette club and as them who they trust to work on their cars.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 21,631
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From: Below the bottom of Berby Hollow, NYS
Eighty nine bucks just seems cheap for a starter today, considering the price of most things.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,056
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From: Central Ohio
Corvetteguy86 - I understand - I was that way for many years - We get so little time to enjoy things in life.
MSD & Powermaster both make wonderful/exceptional starters for the LS motor.
Buy one and it should outlast the car.
I would replace the cables and the starter at the same time - both are potential culprits to you issue.
MSD & Powermaster both make wonderful/exceptional starters for the LS motor.
Buy one and it should outlast the car.
I would replace the cables and the starter at the same time - both are potential culprits to you issue.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,305
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From: Hollister CA
"I guess I just don't want to be wrong about the starter and be out more money ya know? They are already wanting to charge me $100 for simply scanning the computer for codes."
Thats more than the price of a code reader at your neighborhood auto parts store. I would never pay someone else to read the codes for me. As far as the starter, ask them to let the car run for a while and retest. @Unreal may be onto something with respect to it being heat related.
Thats more than the price of a code reader at your neighborhood auto parts store. I would never pay someone else to read the codes for me. As far as the starter, ask them to let the car run for a while and retest. @Unreal may be onto something with respect to it being heat related.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
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Check your records.....even tho the car is out of warranty, the repair is covered for 12 months/12,000 miles in most cases. Try to pinpoint when it happens.....when the car is hot, cold, etc then duplicate it and show up on their service drive...or any Chevy service drive. As long as you've had a starter replaced at a GM dealer, and it falls within the 12/12k warranty, any Chevy dealer should be able to take care of it....when they can duplicate it. They just have to be able to duplicate it. PM me if you have any questions
Race Director
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From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Actual starter motors don't go bad real often anymore. It's usually the solenoid bakelite holding the post in place that cracks and causes intermittent starting. You also might just have poor connections at the solenoid or battery posts.
Start with the simple stuff first, like clean the battery terminals on the battery and the cable ends. Then check the connection at the solenoid. If the nut is tight, but the cable still moves the post, you need a new solenoid for around $40, if you R&R the starter yourself. The ~$89 starter through O'Reilly's ships from a company in a Detroit suburb that is an OEM supplier to GM. I got 40K miles out of one until the solenoid post broke for the second time.
Start with the simple stuff first, like clean the battery terminals on the battery and the cable ends. Then check the connection at the solenoid. If the nut is tight, but the cable still moves the post, you need a new solenoid for around $40, if you R&R the starter yourself. The ~$89 starter through O'Reilly's ships from a company in a Detroit suburb that is an OEM supplier to GM. I got 40K miles out of one until the solenoid post broke for the second time.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: queensbury ny
WHEN PARTS ARE REPLACED they usually carry a 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty regardless of anything.If a defective part is installed,it is replaced free of charge.PERIOD. However,if the dealer service guy can't get the car to do what you're saying it's doing then they won't do squat.They're all like that.You either leave it with them until it does it for them,or you take it home and when it happens again you repeat the process!
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Birmingham, AL www.hinsonsupercars.com 205-909-9402
In our experience with working on several Corvettes in the shop I would replace the starter, double check the wiring insulation, and make sure you have good connections that are tight. There have been cases where a starter just stopped working or worked when the car was cold then you would drive it somewhere and get out for a minute come back to the car and it wouldn't do anything but click. This sounds like a result of the headers or exhaust overheating the starter.