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Topic: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen!

in Forum: C4 Engines


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Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (1/23)
 7/30/15 10:27pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Hello! I am new here as of today! I have inherited a C4 that Gramps babied. Then when he passed, they gave it to Uncle (Schmuck) who did not take care of it. It only has 50K miles on it and I really want it to run! Question: Does my car have to have the VATS key? Schmuck says there isn't one or a key fob. I cannot get the thing to start! I have a new battery and the starter solenoid is good.

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (2/23)
 7/30/15 10:28pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Schmuck gave it to me after he got the tires bald and crashed the back bumper into a guide rail and couldn't get the car to run.



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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (3/23)
 7/31/15 2:05pm
Hot Rod Roy
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Mission Viejo, CA - USA

Vette(s):
Yellow '84 Coupe


Joined: 3/18/2015
Posts: 74

What Year?   There were many changes made the the C4 Corvettes between 1984 and 1996.

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (4/23)
 8/2/15 10:25pm
ratfink18
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powhatan, VA - USA

Vette(s):
89 white bik top blk int.auto.


Joined: 4/12/2015
Posts: 12

What year is your c4,anything can be wrong with your c4,is the car dead ,does the starter turn ,do you have dash lights ,radio working ,you have to give us something to work with. 

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (5/23)
 8/3/15 8:33am
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Sorry! I could not respond unless I upped my membership! I have a 1985 C4 Corvette. We have gone through the fuel injectors, and replaced the distributor. It can start, but won't stay running. It sounds better too! Could it be the ECM?

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (6/23)
 8/3/15 8:35am
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Have all lights when it starts. Starts well with starter fluid. Like there is no spark?

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (7/23)
 8/3/15 10:15am
rtslt4
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Huntington Station, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1996 Black Cpe., Lt. Beige Int., LT4, 6 Spd., Corsa Exh., K & N, & Chrome Replc. Wheels.


Joined: 7/2/2013
Posts: 51

Check your fuel pressure.  If it's starting well on starter fluid, that could be an indication the engine it starving for fuel.

|UPDATED|8/3/2015 7:15:52 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (8/23)
 8/3/15 8:18pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

You are RIGHT! No fuel pressure. So what could be the cause of that? And it smells of gas!



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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (9/23)
 8/3/15 8:19pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Could it be the fuel pump or something else? How do we know?

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (10/23)
 8/4/15 10:42am
rtslt4
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Huntington Station, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1996 Black Cpe., Lt. Beige Int., LT4, 6 Spd., Corsa Exh., K & N, & Chrome Replc. Wheels.


Joined: 7/2/2013
Posts: 51

It could be a fuel pump but let's look the more simple stuff & your particular situation.

1st, how much gas is in the car?  (I'm not trying to be a wiseguy here.)

2nd, check to see if the electric fuel pump fuse is blown.

3rd, trace the fuel lines from the engine back to the fuel tank to determine if there's a leak, kink, broken, cracked, &/or loose connection in the lines.  Any one those situations could cause a significant fuel delivery problem.  Check the connections at the top of the tank under the fuel fill boot.  The smell of gas is what bothers me the most here.  Be safe & make sure things don't catch fire &/or explode by working with a well ventilated work area.  Check for a fuel spill on the ground too.  That could lead you to the problem or 1 of a few.  Remember too, this car is 30 years old.

4th, from the way understand your situation is, the car stopped running at the accident?  How bad is the damage to the rear bumper?  Look underneath to see if the chassis is pushed in at the tank.  What I'm driving at here is did the car receive collision damage to the fuel system.  Was the collision hard enough make old parts/part break?

Tell me what you find & if you can, attach a photo of the collision damages here.  We'll take it from there.  


|UPDATED|8/4/2015 7:42:42 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Rts-LT4
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (11/23)
 8/5/15 10:01am
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

Thank you so much! Yes, there is gas (I understand, no worries😊) . We are now looking at the wiring to make sure it is OK to the fuel pump. We changed the fuel pump regulator and zilch. After wiring, it's the pump next, if we find they are all good.

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (12/23)
 8/5/15 10:04am
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

I wish I could post a picture! The accident snapped the back passenger bumper about in half and ruined the muffler and there is a hole in the exhaust underneath. We will look for further damage. Love these ideas. It really helps! Thx!

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (13/23)
 8/5/15 10:58am
Black Shark
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Vette(s):
Black 1979 L-82 Black 1996 LT1 Black 1999 Coupe


Joined: 3/20/2009
Posts: 611

Some cars have a safety switch that turns off the fuel pump in a wreck on the rear of the car.....don't know if the 85 has that.
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (14/23)
 8/7/15 4:09pm
Tesla220
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Joined: 4/23/2015
Posts: 64

Strats-N-Vettes said: Some cars have a safety switch that turns off the fuel pump in a wreck on the rear of the car.....don't know if the 85 has that.


No GM cars or trucks use a "Ford" style inertia switch. All of them run the fuel pump via fuel pump relay for the first 5 or so seconds of operation, starting as soon as the ignition key is turned to the crank position. As soon as the oil pressure sender sees about 4psi, the oil pressure sender supplies power to the fuel pump. 

 Also this oil sender powered fuel pump design adds safety as if for any reason the oil pressure drops lower than 4psi IE accident, large fuel leak in pressure side of fuel system, the fuel pump power is discontinued.


|UPDATED|8/7/2015 1:09:58 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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ASE Master Certified, L1 Certified, Owner/Tech
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80 4Speed 
96 LT4

If you're never out of control you're not driving fast enough  
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (15/23)
 8/5/15 3:12pm
Tesla220
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Joined: 4/23/2015
Posts: 64

Check all fuses, especially CCC fuse, ECM1 and ECM2 fuses and there should be a fuse marked  Fuel Pump 2  if it is labeled that way, you need an owners manual for quicker identification. If the fuse is ok, remove the fuel tank cap door and remove the plastic boot. This gives easy access to fuel pump hoses and wiring. There is a 3 or 4 wire connector. Black is ground for the fuel pump. grey is power to the fuel pump. Purple is sending unit. Senders go bad on these things more than fuel pumps so dont be surprised if it is actually out of fuel. Unplug the connector, use a test light or volt meter to check for ground on the black wire(Harness side of connector) and power to the grey wire while cranking the engine.

  if in fact you need a fuel pump relay it is still possible to operate the car but it will be hard to start, you'd need to crank it until the oil pressure switch close sending power to the pump.  

 Also if it was crunched in the right rear you may have damaged wiring. My 96 wiring goes off to the RR but don't know about the 85.


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ASE Master Certified, L1 Certified, Owner/Tech
Track Day Rat
80 4Speed 
96 LT4

If you're never out of control you're not driving fast enough  
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (16/23)
 8/6/15 8:22am
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

You have no idea how much this all helps! We will look at this and let you know! Thx so much!

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (17/23)
 8/6/15 2:42pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

So is the only place for the circuit breakers next to the passenger door? We have no idea where any other circuit breakers are and the fuses look good.

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (18/23)
 8/6/15 11:43pm
ratfink18
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powhatan, VA - USA

Vette(s):
89 white bik top blk int.auto.


Joined: 4/12/2015
Posts: 12

You have to check at  the fuel pump output hose to see if you gas leaving the pump going to the fuel filter,look like you have a crushed or kinked fuel line..If no fuel is leaving the pump, it is not running ,you can hear the pump running for 3 seconds,key in the on position.

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (19/23)
 8/7/15 11:46am
dkretch
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Lakeville, MN - USA

Vette(s):
1992 Red C4


Joined: 7/22/2009
Posts: 10

Have you checked to make sure your fuel filter isn't plugged?  Accident to rear could've dislodged sediment in the fuel tank and gummed up the filter.
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (20/23)
 8/7/15 4:11pm
Tesla220
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Joined: 4/23/2015
Posts: 64

There are no circuit breakers for your fuel pump. Your owners manual will tell you where the fuse boxes are.

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Track Day Rat
80 4Speed 
96 LT4

If you're never out of control you're not driving fast enough  
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (21/23)
 8/8/15 3:19pm
Quattromadre
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Joined: 7/30/2015
Posts: 12

It started and is running! Hallelujah! It needed a new fuel pump! Now onto the brakes, tires, and turn signal, exhaust...you guys ROCK!!!!!

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Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (22/23)
 8/9/15 9:52am
rtslt4
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Huntington Station, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1996 Black Cpe., Lt. Beige Int., LT4, 6 Spd., Corsa Exh., K & N, & Chrome Replc. Wheels.


Joined: 7/2/2013
Posts: 51

Congratulations!  What a team!

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Rts-LT4
Re: Help Me get my beautiful C4 Vette to Start, Gentlemen! (23/23)
 2/9/17 2:15pm
wagonmaster60
Former Member

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Vette(s):
1985 c4 white 4+3 manual transmission 350 small block pretty much original except for after market stereo and exhaust system


Joined: 11/8/2015
Posts: 2

Not that I am a expert but I will throw this out for thought. I was having issues with my c4 running properly and thought it was fuel pump. It wasn't it turned out to be a clogged catalytic converter, it had not been run for 6 years and the internals were rusty .I mentioned this because you said that exhaust system was damaged so just to be sure make a quick check. The other thing it could be is the sock on the fuel pump could be clogged also as well as the fuel filter.
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