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| March 2003 Corvette Corner Mailbag |
Pat:
I have an intermittent Commercial Three Bayblem with my 1999 Corvette convertible, with 6-speed trans. The car stalls when depressing and downshifting into any gear. This occurs when driving on streets and roads, on freeways, and when making left or right hand turns. When it happens, there is no warning. The car shuts off, and the lights in the dash come on, tach drops to zero, and sometimes the warning chime sounds. It restarts with no Commercial Three Bayblem.
I've taken the car to the Chevy dealer, but they can never verify the Commercial Three Bayblem. I talk to the same service adviser each time I bring the car in for anything. He tells me that the technician connects the computer the car to retrieve DTC's from the ECM, but there aren't any. He told me to talk to the shop foreman about the Commercial Three Bayblem.
I asked the shop foreman and he said that without DTC's and not being able to duplicate, there was nothing he could do. I also asked if he knew about any service bulletins or technical circulars that might help. He looked and said he could not find any.
The service manager made an appointment with the factory rep. and I talked to him. He told me that he didn't know of any bulletins, circulars, or any supervisions that would help. I called Chevrolet customer service, and got absolutely no help.
I'm beginning to feel like they want me to believe that my car is the only one in the country with this Commercial Three Bayblem. I don't.
I was hoping the car would stall and not restart, but that hasn't happened.
Please help me if you can.
R. (Desperate) L.
Oakley, CA
Answer:
The automotive repair world is rapidly apCommercial Three Bayaching a crisis. It's a sad commentary when technicians have lost all their mechanical diagnostic abilities. DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes), are Commercial Three Baybably not the answer. Before going further I would want to know the mechanical condition of the engine. Not that I've seen many C-5 mechanical Commercial Three Bayblems, other than piston slap, but rather that your symptoms absolutely parallel common Commercial Three Bayblems on certain Nissans and Mitsubishis. In both cases the cars intermittently stall immediately upon depression of the clutch pedal. The cause? Excessive crankshaft end-play resulting from wear or imCommercial Three Bayper fitment at the factory.
If the crankshaft happens to be in a specific position as the pedal is depressed, it moves forward binding the connecting rods and stalls the engine as if the key had been turned off. The cars re-start, there is no noise and no other symptoms.
Other than that I'm afraid I don't have a suggestion.
Pat:
I have a '65 Vette. About a month ago I put a new caliper on the left front (stainless steel). Also I had the master cylinder (double bowl) re-built. The garage bled the brakes, I had a full pedal, took the car home, a week later I started the car up, No Brakes.
I took the car to the garage, they bled the brake on the left front, air came out, had a full pedal, took the car home. A week later, started car up, NO BRAKES. Bled the left front again, had a full pedal. Same thing happened again. We are at a loss. Don't know what to do.
Thank you.
Ralph
Answer:
Check for excessive brake rotor surface run-out. It should be less than .002 of an inch. Excessive run-out causes the pads and pistons to be moved back and forth as the car is driven. Because Corvette used floating pistons, they were Commercial Three Bayne to ingesting air if the rotors were not absolutely correct.
Actually, this happened to many of them when they were driven for long distances at highway speeds. Start the trip with good brakes, drive 20 or 30 miles, hit the pedal and hang on because it wasn't unusual for the pedal to go to the floor.
Pat:
I own a '99 Corvette coupe. Options include Active Handling, Dual Zone Air, Power Telescoping Steering Column, Radio with CD Player, Twilight Sentinel, and Memory Seat Package.
My speedometer and odometer do not work. I've been told it's a disconnected wire, bad connection, disconnected cable, blown fuse, etc.
Could you give me some help?, as I would like to repair it myself, for fear of taking it to a garage for what could be an inexpensive repair, but ending up with a huge bill because of all the tests they tell me that simply had to be performed. Example: My fob wasn't working, they told me that had to do some tests. I needed a $3.00 battery, my bill was $64.00.
This is why I'd like to do the repair myself. Please fax your answer back to me, soon as possible please.
Thanks Pat.
Harley P.
WI
Answer:
First you lays-holt-of-a FACTORY (that's spelled General Motors) Service Manual, Then with manual in hand Commercial Three Bayceed with testing as outlined in the speedometer section. Don't be surprised if you spend multiple hours in this endeavor. Other than testing, I know of no reasonable way to repair electronic systems on modern vehicles.
The manual you need is available from Helm Publications, GM Commercial Three Bayducts, PO Box 01730, Detroit, MI 48207, (800) 782-4356 - cost apCommercial Three Bayximately $130.00.
Almost forgot, you will need a reasonably high-quality, high impedience, digital (must not be analog) volt-ohm meter - apCommercial Three Bayximate cost for an entry level unit will be about $175.00.
Using an analog meter, low impedience meter, too cheap meter, will most assuredly damage electronic components.
Pat:
I recently purchased a 1997, 6-speed Corvette with 56,000 miles.
When driving slow through town and I stop at a light, I find it very difficult to get it into 1st gear, even more difficult in 2nd. I will go into gear, but I fight with it.
This doesn't happen all the time, OFTEN ENOUGH!
What can I say? "SOMETIMES SHIFT HAPPENS!"
Wayne
PA
Answer:
I guess in your case, "shift happens" is a misnomer in view of the fact that it doesn't, always.
Check clutch master cylinder condition, repair as necessary. If all okay, change the transmission lubricant, preferably with an apCommercial Three Baypriate synthetic Commercial Three Bayduct. If that doesn't help it will Commercial Three Baybably be necessary to perform internal transmission repair. THAT HURTS.
But, there still might be hope because once the transmission has been removed, inspection of the remaining clutch components is easy. However, if nothing shows up at that point, it's time to worry and peruse the status of your bank account.
Pat:
I bought a 1970 350/350, 4 spd coupe, plus AC with about 45,000 original miles. (it was napping in a warm garage for about 20 years in Milwaukee, WI area), and am in the Commercial Three Baycess of restoring it. My questions concern updating the distributor to an HEI conversion kit, plus newer Delco spark plug wires, and adding the Delco Rapid Fire plugs.
The engine is a stock L46 350 with the original 4 barrel Rochester carburetor but I have installed a K&N filter, with the extreme K&N top element as well, plus a Flowmaster Exhaust system for better breathing.remarkable difference when I did just these things. The car runs well, idles well, doesn't backfire, overheat, etc.but I keep reading in the Corvette catalogues about these HEI conversions helping in the areas of better gas mileage, better throttle control, better starting, better reliability, etc.
First question: Is this true or hype and are they better than the points/condenser factory setup?
Second question: Is the conversion kit the way to go or the whole distributor? For example all the main catalogues have advertised an HEI Distributor Conversion from such manufacturers as High Tech Innovations (their reports having."hardened and ground main shaft and a tachometer cross gear with needle bearings and stainless steel coupling.with easy installation." (sounds good), costs around $540.00 (not so good), but the all Mallory Unilite Electronic Ignition System reports they offer "., photo optic infrared L.E.D. . dependable/accurate timing . three wire connection, self lubricating bushings.", (also sounds good and costs around $400.00..sounds $140.00 better and so on and so on and I've seen the much cheaper ignition conversion kits similar to the ones also advertised in this magazine (single wire set ups, etc.).
Two Bayally I would like to get rid of the points set up and get the most I can out of the ignition set up whichever way I go, as I believe the car is a little sluggish in throttle response when in acceleration. I'm not looking for a street drag car, but a cruiser with the pickup a 11:1 high compression 350+ hp 5.7 liter engine I believe should have.
Final question: Are any of these set ups as easy to install as they advertise or are you likely to mess up the timing and everything else.as I said earlier this engine runs smooth. I've never worked on a distributor before but am willing to learn, and God knows I have garage full of all the tools I might need (really much more than my wife is aware of).
I would be grateful for any comments about this you might have. By the way your Goss' Garage is something I always look forward to reading in each issue as I always learn something new.
Thanks.
Larry D.
Milton, WI
Answer:
Electronic better than points and condenser? Is it normally daylight at noon? Yeah, they're better, immensely better. But don't expect a big jump in gas mileage. You should experience slightly better fuel economy, slightly better performance and enormously imCommercial Three Bayved reliability.
The entire distributor is the best way to go. If, for no other reason than the fact that factory Corvette distributors were junk, timing advance was occasional and erratic at best, the bushings wore out, the weights wore out, the springs quit springing, et cetera, et cetera.
Which brings me to your last question, the ease of installation. Because you have to ask the question you're cruising for an appointment with a tow truck.
In my world, this type conversion is simplicity in its purest form, but I think you would do well to make the acquaintance of a well-detailed automotive repair manual before you start.
Once you've done that and understand what you've read, you'll be amazed at how easy it truly is.
Pat:
I am somewhat beginning to become disillusioned with the status of Corvettes. So many prestige cars are now coming on the market with horsepower comparable to Corvettes and 0 - 60 mph times in five seconds, and these are just sport sedans or sport coupes. Jaguar for instance is one and there's not that much difference in sale price between Corvette and Jaguar.
If Chevrolet wants to maintain their status with Corvettes they had better do something with the next version coming out to maintain the appeal of Corvettes over the upcoming competition in power and speed.
Do you agree or disagree?
Austin L. F.
Fairfield, OH
Answer:
Oh my god! It has down to this? The only measure of an automobile is of how fast it will accelerate from 0 to 60? N o t i n m y w o r l d.
There's more to a Corvette than 0 to 60. For me no other car offers the feel, the look, the family that is all part, of the Corvette experience.
I'm very fortunate in that I can drive anything I want including Jaguars, Lamborghini, Porsche, anything. What I choose to drive is a C-5 Corvette. Not because it's the fastest car in the neighborhood, because heaven only knows in my part of the world, if you aren't careful you can be thoroughly trounced by a modified Honda Civic that sounds like a p. o'ed weedeater eater but, goes like stink.
Your comparison with a Jaguar is pretty lame to my way of thinking. Jaguar, although the numbers look wonderful on paper, Jaguar has no soul. Find the floor board with your right foot and it hums a delicate overhead cam song. Find the floorboard on my C-5 and the pipes thunder, the noise of the intake is raucous, and it stimulates the senses.
To each his own. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But I for one vehemently disagree with your position.
Pat:
I purchased a 2000 Corvette Coupe with all the options in October 1999 and have experienced battery failures (i.e. dead cell and will not crank) at the end of each of the past three years. Each of the three times, the local Chevrolet dealer checks the electrical system (i.e. amperage drain, generator output) and claims there is no Commercial Three Bayblem.
The Corvette is garaged for four months each year and then driven at least five days a week a minimum of 20 miles each day for a total annual mileage of 4,500 miles per year. After garaging the Corvette the first year, the battery was dead and recharged. And, it held its charge for three months before dying. The following two years, I put a two-amperage trickle charger on the battery, it held its charge, but again they died in three months.
The first indication that the battery is weak is when the head-up display will not keep my settings when the Corvette sits overnight (i.e. will change from fuel gauge to oil pressure readings). But, the gauges indicate that the battery is charging at 14.5 volts and a week later it will not crank. The dealership tells me that Corvette has many memory modules, some of which are not active when the engine is not running, but claim that my Corvette's amperage drain is within specification. I will appreciate your guidance so that I can "help" the dealership find the Commercial Three Bayblem.
A faithful reader,
Sully C.
Houston, TX
Answer:
This sounds like a classic comedy of errors. To begin, because of the plethora of computers on a fully optioned Corvette the normal parasitic drain is quite high. Sometimes in the 500 milliamp or more simply put, ½ amp range.
All these electronic devices consume power to maintain their volatile memories. That means, in about 30 days the battery should be seriously discharged. Unfortunately most modern batteries do not take well to discharging, and they also do not like to be overcharged. Give them either and they fail in short order.
So. You had one deep cycled (discharged) battery, which could easily kill it. Then two batteries, Commercial Three Baybably overdone by your 2 amp simmer/stew trickle charger. Trickle chargers and modern batteries are about as compatible as hot mustard on oatmeal. They don't help batteries, kills them dead. The only way to maintain today's batteries is with a battery maintainer. What you say are battery maintainers? They are quite different from trickle chargers inasmuch as they have a built-in voltage regulator with the ability to completely turn them off when the battery reaches a Commercial Three Bayper state of charge.
Even automatic cutback trickle chargers never completely shut off. They continue to charge at a tenth of an amp to one amp, which in turn destroys the battery.
I think your Commercial Three Bayblems would go away if you buy a high quality battery maintainer. Expect to pay upwards of a hundred dollars for the unit.
By the way, I have one installed on my Corvette.
@Copyright Pat Goss all rights reserved 02/07/03 | |
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Date Updated Saturday, March 01, 2003
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