Prepare for starter failure
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 230
Likes: 1
From: Oviedo Florida
Today my vehicle shutdown on the busiest highway in Colorado Springs. There is no warning signs, no notice, and no power. The vehicle does not go into auxiliary mode, the doors lock, and the screens go dark. I was stranded in the middle lane of 3 lanes of traffic for over 90 minutes. The cops were patient and stayed until the end. Several things I recommend to prepare for this:
1. Have your starter replaced to prevent this.
2. Become familiar with the towing company. The vehicle does not go into neutral and cannot be placed on a flatbed truck. The front wheels will have to be placed on dollies and the rear wheels lifted up. The vehicle will have to be towed to a safe location in this mode. This is not good for long distance and the towing driver will tell you this.
3. Talk to your warranty company. They only allow one tow per 7 day period. It does not matter if the first tow is to get to a safe location or dealership (that is not familiar with the C7). I have the basic warranty and extended warranty. It did not help.
4. Meet your local dealership. If you did not purchase your vehicle from him it may benefit you in the long run. Talk to the service manager and the technicians that work on the C7. Tell them about this problem and tell them how to jumper around the fuse at the battery. This will restore power to the vehicle and allow the vehicle to go into auxiliary mode (vehicle will go into neutral and can be pushed or placed on a flatbed truck). These starters are not kept on hand at the dealerships.
5. I still love my C7. Things happen! I will update you when my vehicle is returned to me. I have about 850 miles on my vehicle. Most of these were driving from my dealer in Kansas to CO. This was the fourth time my vehicle was driven.
6. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
1. Have your starter replaced to prevent this.
2. Become familiar with the towing company. The vehicle does not go into neutral and cannot be placed on a flatbed truck. The front wheels will have to be placed on dollies and the rear wheels lifted up. The vehicle will have to be towed to a safe location in this mode. This is not good for long distance and the towing driver will tell you this.
3. Talk to your warranty company. They only allow one tow per 7 day period. It does not matter if the first tow is to get to a safe location or dealership (that is not familiar with the C7). I have the basic warranty and extended warranty. It did not help.
4. Meet your local dealership. If you did not purchase your vehicle from him it may benefit you in the long run. Talk to the service manager and the technicians that work on the C7. Tell them about this problem and tell them how to jumper around the fuse at the battery. This will restore power to the vehicle and allow the vehicle to go into auxiliary mode (vehicle will go into neutral and can be pushed or placed on a flatbed truck). These starters are not kept on hand at the dealerships.
5. I still love my C7. Things happen! I will update you when my vehicle is returned to me. I have about 850 miles on my vehicle. Most of these were driving from my dealer in Kansas to CO. This was the fourth time my vehicle was driven.
6. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 29,113
Likes: 2,194
From: Big Bend Country, TX
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
I don't have a c7, but assume your car is automatic. if it were manual you would not have that problem putting it in neutral. however most automatic cars have a button or keyhole to stick in to be able to put the car in neutral for events like this. check your owners manual.
I was thinking the same thing. However .......... Most peeps are not aware of this feature. It is something that is not covered in drivers ed. 
I can understand the o/p's angst. Not something I'd want nor expect to happen on a brand new $70 k car.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,884
Likes: 210
From: Somewhere on earth
The thing I question is why the OP believes it's a starter issue. There was NO indication of that in the OP. No power, and no ability to start doesn't in any way indicate a starter issue. It could be battery, battery cable, or any number of other things. How would anyone know it's a starter until the car has been diagnosed??? Too many things in the post that irk me.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 1,365
From: Sevierville Tn
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,355
Likes: 12
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 755
Likes: 2
From: Valencia CA
I had the same thing happen to me in my 86 pace car convert, the starter suddenly went to a dead short and you loose all electric power to everything in the car almost instantly. You do not have to be engaging the starter for this to happen.
Had to be towed, starter was replaced and that was it, never happened again.
Had to be towed, starter was replaced and that was it, never happened again.
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Brett Foote
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,931
Likes: 1
From: "Sweet Home Alabama"
I dont have C7(yet) but read lots of posts so I will be familiar with the car when I get ready to buy. Just like I did before I bought a C6. Also, I probably am just as knowledgeable about how a car operates as the OP and anyone else on here(excluding Talon and "engineers")
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I seem to recall way back when that the starter motor was connected to the ignition switch via the solenoid. And the ignition switch was a major component of keeping the car running as in, faulty ignition switch, no start, or no run because it also powers the engine control and ignition coils. Maybe there's some relevance?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,191
Likes: 53
From: Tucson Arizona
When it happened to my 86 pace car convert I didn't guess it was the starter that was the problem when it occured but it turned out it was the starter.
I was driving down River Road in the late 1980's here in Tucson around 11pm and it is a very dark and curvy road when suddenly it happened to my fairly new at the time 86 vette. I was driving about 40-50 mph with a friend of mine in another vette behind me. With no warning and in a instant the car quit and everything went black and dead, the guy behind me nearly ran into the back of me it happened so fast.
The only other person I knew personally that it happened to was a boss I had picked up a brand new Chrysler Imperial and with less that ten miles on the car it died suddenly on the freeway just like the OP and it also was the starter had gone to dead short suddenly with no warning.
Last edited by RJRSW; Nov 3, 2013 at 11:59 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 10,084
Likes: 3,055
From: CA
I rent a lot of cars, and so far I have had a lot more electronic issues with GM cars than the other makes. Examples: tire pressure warning system failure, dash backlighting out, gauges out, voice recognition won't start, etc. Most issues are intermittent. And these are new cars, but not all new models.
Michael
