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Topic: car will not start

in Forum: C4 Engines


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car will not start (1/12)
 11/24/11 8:29pm
crossfire1984
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Vette(s):
1984 - light bronze 1987 - black coupe - std. shift


Joined: 2/9/2010
Posts: 6

Last April I purchased a 1987 Vette w/32000 miles. The car runs great. My problem is at time when your try to start the car you will hear one click as if the battery was weak. You don't hear multiple clicks as you normally would with a weak battery. Had my mechanic check the car and he said the battery was weak and should be replaced. I replaced  the battery and I still have the starting problem. Next he replaced the starter. I still have the problem. This is an intermittent  problem and you never know when it will or will not start. Normally if you wait 5 or 10 minutes and you try to start in again it will start. I have disconnected the battery cables and reconnected them and the car would start.  Any ideas as to what I should look for?
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Re: car will not start (2/12)
 11/25/11 9:10am
Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1985 Coupe-L98/Auto,Bright Red/Carmine. 1974 Coupe-L48/4speed, Medium Red Metallic/Black Deluxe.


Joined: 3/18/2009
Posts: 2230

You have a bad/loose/corroded connection somewhere in the "Start" circuit. One click usually means that the amperage/heat going thru the connection for "Start" was enough to kill the connection, thus making it dead for the time. Once it cools a bit, it may make a good enough connection the next time to start. You said disconnecting/connecting the battery cables would allow it to start, so I would start there...check the batt cable terminals for any corrosion, the start tracing the GROUND cable down to the frame...

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Re: car will not start (3/12)
 11/25/11 9:21am
eddie20890
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lanoka harbor, NJ - USA

Vette(s):
1990 L-98 white/ red/black leather interior targa top auto 1975 L48 blue/black leather interior t tops auto


Joined: 3/22/2009
Posts: 1363

have to really watch the grounds as joel said. corvettes are known to have grounding issues.

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Re: car will not start (4/12)
 11/27/11 7:46pm
themailman
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Pickens, SC - USA

Vette(s):
1989 Red,convertible,sold an 78 Black coupeSilver Anniversary after 3 years.


Joined: 7/21/2009
Posts: 24

Adams' Apple said: You have a bad/loose/corroded connection somewhere in the "Start" circuit. One click usually means that the amperage/heat going thru the connection for "Start" was enough to kill the connection, thus making it dead for the time. Once it cools a bit, it may make a good enough connection the next time to start. You said disconnecting/connecting the battery cables would allow it to start, so I would start there...check the batt cable terminals for any corrosion, the start tracing the GROUND cable down to the frame...

Joel, my 1989 is doing the same thing. NEW batt/starter. do you know WHERE the main harness grounds to the frame? I am getting NO CODES. It usually starts/runs for 30 seconds then stalls. THAT'S where the similiar starter problem comes in. It WILL fire up on a shot of ether though. 40 psi at the rail., new injectors last year/filters/egr too.............HELP!!
Re: car will not start (5/12)
 11/30/11 7:08am
bluebird
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clayto, NC - USA

Vette(s):
1984. viper red


Joined: 5/18/2011
Posts: 30

had that exact same problem on my 90 kenworth. drove me nuts. changed everything, batteries,alternator,starter hot cables. finally found problem was in ground cable. cable had been spliced together during manufactiring process before plastic coating had been put on cable. when it corroded inside plastic coating, you could not see it. once i replaced the ground cable i never had a starting problem again.
Re: car will not start (6/12)
 11/30/11 2:21pm
Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1985 Coupe-L98/Auto,Bright Red/Carmine. 1974 Coupe-L48/4speed, Medium Red Metallic/Black Deluxe.


Joined: 3/18/2009
Posts: 2230




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Joel Adams  
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(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: car will not start (7/12)
 12/1/11 9:43am
themailman
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Pickens, SC - USA

Vette(s):
1989 Red,convertible,sold an 78 Black coupeSilver Anniversary after 3 years.


Joined: 7/21/2009
Posts: 24

Adams' Apple said:

Joel, thanks...got  about a 1/4 turn on the grounding nut on the bellhousing. Connection was clean,as were the cables & NEW batt/bolts Chipped away the chassi grounds of frame paint and re-attached,took the started out and emery clothed the armature and cleaned/checked the brushes. Starts NOW...but I just dont TRUST it. Wanna yake out the motor & put a 383 GM crate block in it with an old fashioned carb/NO computer!  BUT it gets 29mpg   ;-)
Re: car will not start (8/12)
 12/2/11 1:49pm
redvette89
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Huron, OH - USA

Vette(s):
1989 Red Convertible - 160,000 fun-filled miles -


Joined: 12/5/2009
Posts: 179

That is great news Clap
I've been following along hoping to add something but Joel had ya covered.
 
btw, I'd trust it


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Re: car will not start (9/12)
 12/3/11 12:01am
Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1985 Coupe-L98/Auto,Bright Red/Carmine. 1974 Coupe-L48/4speed, Medium Red Metallic/Black Deluxe.


Joined: 3/18/2009
Posts: 2230

I don't know what happened to the rest of my post above, but I did originally mention checking the bellhousing bolts/studs for grounds. Those are bad spots....hard to get to, and they seem to loosen up frequently.
The first day I drove my '85 home from the shop, it started acting stoopid...the A/C was kicking on/off, lights flickering, and the engine acted like it wanted to die. I made it home, but the next day I put it up on a lift, and, sure enough, the ground wires on the driver side bellhousing bolt were loose as crap!. I wound up removing the grounds from that spot, and moving them to the next stud down, so I could get a good, solid torque on the nut. Haven't had a problem since, and this was in '98!


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Joel Adams  
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: car will not start (10/12)
 9/9/12 4:27pm
Wisdom
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Joined: 9/9/2012
Posts: 1

Hi everyone i'm from france and have a similare issue on my C4 convertible from 1990 the car wont start when is little hot and wont let me press the gas more then 2000 rpm or it's stall :( have changed the TPS , the ECM , the O2 sensor , all spark plug 8 exactly and the car wont work corretly :( . have check the diag code on dashboard have plug a wire on aldl connector Grounded the G input and got no error code .

Please i really need help because i love my car
Re: car will not start (11/12)
 11/5/14 12:09pm
POOLPUMPREPAIRGUY
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longwood, FL - USA

Vette(s):
1995 and 2002 red convt


Joined: 11/5/2013
Posts: 11

I had the same prob with my 95 it has a relay about where your left knee is sitting in the car, there are 2 in this block one the starter other i think is the fuel pump. the problem is with the security system, and mine is intermittent. but if you wait 3 minutes the system resets itself and will start. Now I was thinking of just installing a small push button to bypass this relay, but after I replaced the relay it has not failed.. so .. ? good luck  

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found the bucket grommets for my 2002 headlights on ebay
Re: car will not start (12/12)
 11/5/14 12:11pm
POOLPUMPREPAIRGUY
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longwood, FL - USA

Vette(s):
1995 and 2002 red convt


Joined: 11/5/2013
Posts: 11

check the ecu plugs for corrosion ? 

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found the bucket grommets for my 2002 headlights on ebay
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