hawkandersonjr

I know it sounds like the battery but it’s been on my tender for a week and I drove the car Sunday with no problems. Drove the car about 40 miles round trip to the mall. It started at the mall with no problem. Got back home and parked in the drive way and came back out about 30 minutes later and the vette wouldn’t start. Here are some things that it is doing:
1. I get no messages about no FOB detected.
2. When I press the start button all the gauges energize like the car just started but nothing happens. I hear a lot of relays clicking under the hood and at the fuse box on the passenger side foot well but nothing from the starter.
3. All the light works, the FOB unlocks and locks the door and open the trunk.
4. I tried jump starting with my Silverado but it did the same thing.
5. I checked the voltage with my meter and it read 12.65. I also have one of those tender charger and the light on it was green supposedly indicating it is charged.
6. Cannot get under the car yet to check the starter wires but what I can observed from top side I could see nothing out of place.
7. My battery is about 3 years old and I had to have it charged about 6 months ago because the car sat for several weeks without my tender charger.
8. This also happen which I don’t know if it’s normal or not because I never done it before. I press the start button and turn the accessory switch on and I could shift the car into neutral and drive. I thought maybe my shift selector switch went bad.

JJLAI724

Hook the volt meter up to the battery and with it still connected have crank the engine. If the battery drops super low....below 8 volts. It's the battery. Also, take the terminals off and wire brush them clean and put them back on. You'll be surprised at how much corrosion will build up between the terminals that you cannot see. Oxidation I believe is what's it called.

Don-Vette

Sounds like a battery, keep the terminals clean with a coating of dielectric grease. That's what I do.

RocketDawg

Might also be the safety switch that only allows the car to start when you depress the clutch (manual trans) or brake pedal (automatics).

1968swbbigblock

1st -bad starter/solenoid & or battery cable connection at the starter solenoid
2nd - lockout switch on the shifter if an auto

AORoads

Altho car batt. and terminals would have been first in my mind, #1 above would be my second choice---the starter and its connections.

Grimlock13

IF I had to bet on it. I'd say to look at the starter solenoid connection point. If it is burned/melted/cracked. It is junk.

But Battery (that can't handle a high load) or the lockout switch could also cause those problems.

Welker1

Had similar symptoms about 2 months ago, took the battery to Autozone ... battery was bad, as soon as a load was put on it, the amps would drop; I'd start there. Good luck

hawkandersonjr

The safety switch is a concern because it has been hard at times to shift out of park. I pressed the start button to turn the accessory on and I could shift the car into neutral and drive. I had to have my foot on the brake pedal. Not sure if this is normal. Can someone vouch for that happening? Now that you mention it I don't remember hearing that clicking sound when I press the brake pedal. Not sure, I think the car has to running before you get that clicking sound. Will check out tomorrow.

Welker1

Don't know if it has anything to do with your starting issue: but I had a similar problem with mine having a hard time shifting out of park, shortly after that, I had a problem getting it to shift back into park and had to have the shifter & cable replaced. There are several threads on this issue and you might want to do a search on them. I hope you're not facing the same issue.

Mark H

My did the same thing and it was the starter solenoid. Everything worked as usually, but the car would not crank.

hawkandersonjr

I think it may be the starter. Had the battery checked and it was good. Didn’t think it was the battery because I’ve been through the dead battery thing several times. I jacked the car up and looked at the starter and moved the wires around to see if they were connected and they were. However the bottom of the starter was covered with a layer of black something. It’s the look like when you have an electrical fire. Never smell anything but my sense of smell is zero. Here is what it looks like. I will be pulling it off tomorrow. I was going to try like they did in the old days stick a screw driver on the solenoid connectors and see if it will kick on but it’s too tight of a spot and I don’t need any more problems.

hawkandersonjr

Speaking of the Lock out switch when I go in the accessory mode I can shift the transmission gear in neutral and drive with ease it feels like it’s not connected to anything. Should it feel the same way when the car is started? I have to check it tomorrow while I got the car jacked up looking at the starter.

geewez

You didn't mention the year of your car but I agree with several others that more than likely it'll be the starter solenoid. This happened to a friend a few months ago and after a long distance conversation with the dealer's service dept, he replaced the starter and that took care of the problem. Apparently the solenoid is right under the exhaust manifold and after a few years, the heat gets to a small plastic insulator and caused the no start problem.

unixcorn

Your transmission shifter cable may have broken. That's a problem that comes up from time to time. Are you parked on a level driveway? I ask since, if your car isn't really in park, could it roll? That might tell you if the transmission lockout switch is what's causing the issue. However, I thought the DIC would tell you to "Shift to Park" if it wasn't actually in park. That would keep your car from starting for sure.
Good luck and please keep us posted.

hawkandersonjr

I pull the starter relay today and used jumper wire on post 1 and 5 and the starter turned over like it should. Does this means the starter is good and the solenoid is bad. Well I went and bought a new starter relay replaced the old one and I still have the same problem. Any Ideas on what to check next. This is a 2005, A-4.

08velocity

this^ same thing happened to ours . ended up with new batt,alt, and starter

wayback

Battery is weak or bad. Have it load tested or replace if it's 3 years old.

VET4LES

Sounds like the battery. It should always be the first thing to test. The c6 is very hard on batteries.

hawkandersonjr

Thanks for your response I just came back in the house was working on the vette. So this is what I just did. I press the start button went under the hood and pulled the starter relay out. I then jump wire it and the car started up and ran. The voltage on the DIC was reading a little over 14 volts. When I put the relay switch back in the car it will not do anything except all the lights and gauges work. My son says it’s the battery which is hard to believe when the car just started.