About to buy my first vette need some help
Super Moderator
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,244
From: Reno, Nv.
Welcome to CFs!
No matter what car you buy, you should get it up in the air so you can look underneith.
Inspect the steering, brakes, any leaks, exhaust system, any frame damage. Vettes, being so low, when driven over some speed bumbs they can bottom out. Some body can bottom out on things that a common car would clear.
Do the wheels at least look to be aligned? Any leaning or toed in or out?
Look for any fracture lines in the body. Cracks would indicate it has run into something, or somthing into it. Does everything in the cockpit function propperly?
Once the mechanical, structural, and electrical check out, the rest is cosmetics.
No matter what car you buy, you should get it up in the air so you can look underneith.
Inspect the steering, brakes, any leaks, exhaust system, any frame damage. Vettes, being so low, when driven over some speed bumbs they can bottom out. Some body can bottom out on things that a common car would clear.
Do the wheels at least look to be aligned? Any leaning or toed in or out?
Look for any fracture lines in the body. Cracks would indicate it has run into something, or somthing into it. Does everything in the cockpit function propperly?
Once the mechanical, structural, and electrical check out, the rest is cosmetics.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 903
From:
Some common issues to look for:
Leaking differential gasket
Oil pressure sender unit failure (gauge ocsillates or pegs at 60 psi)
EBCM failure (service ABS, traction control, active handling lights): GM is no longer making these for C5s older than 2001.
Fading/blacked out outside temperature readout: Board components need to be resoldered
Failed smog pump check valve (check engine light)
Column lock: Make sure this has been disabled. If not, you will hear a "bzzzzzt" when turning the key to start or turn off the engine.
Most importantly, check for engine codes.
http://www.stengel.net/diccodes.htm
Leaking differential gasket
Oil pressure sender unit failure (gauge ocsillates or pegs at 60 psi)
EBCM failure (service ABS, traction control, active handling lights): GM is no longer making these for C5s older than 2001.
Fading/blacked out outside temperature readout: Board components need to be resoldered
Failed smog pump check valve (check engine light)
Column lock: Make sure this has been disabled. If not, you will hear a "bzzzzzt" when turning the key to start or turn off the engine.
Most importantly, check for engine codes.
How to Pull Codes:
1. Turn your key to the "ON" position, but do not start the engine.
2. Clear any present messages by pressing the RESET button.
3. Hold the OPTIONS button down, and press the FUEL button 4 times. (This will get you into the "codes" section of the DIC.
4. The computer will automatically display all the codes your car has created. It will cycle through each code every 3 seconds. (Have a pen and paper handy to write down the codes)
Note: Any code that ends in an "H" is a history code (something that has occurred in the past, but is not reporting as an error currently.)
5. Once the computer has finished going through all of its codes, press RESET to enter Manual Configuration mode. It should start with a module and show "NO CODES" or "# Codes."
6. To optionally reset codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until is displays "NO CODES."
7. Press OPTIONS to go into the next module (ie, from PCM, or Powertrain Control Module, to TCS, or Traction Control System.)
8. Repeat Step 6 until you have reset all the codes in all the computer modules.
Note: Only reset the codes if you want to- it is not necessary to reset them every time you pull the codes.
9. When finished, simply take your key out of the ignition.
How to Interpret Codes
Now, once you've pulled the codes (it will usually be a letter followed by four numbers), you can go to THIS SITE to get an interpretation of what they mean.
1. Turn your key to the "ON" position, but do not start the engine.
2. Clear any present messages by pressing the RESET button.
3. Hold the OPTIONS button down, and press the FUEL button 4 times. (This will get you into the "codes" section of the DIC.
4. The computer will automatically display all the codes your car has created. It will cycle through each code every 3 seconds. (Have a pen and paper handy to write down the codes)
Note: Any code that ends in an "H" is a history code (something that has occurred in the past, but is not reporting as an error currently.)
5. Once the computer has finished going through all of its codes, press RESET to enter Manual Configuration mode. It should start with a module and show "NO CODES" or "# Codes."
6. To optionally reset codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until is displays "NO CODES."
7. Press OPTIONS to go into the next module (ie, from PCM, or Powertrain Control Module, to TCS, or Traction Control System.)
8. Repeat Step 6 until you have reset all the codes in all the computer modules.
Note: Only reset the codes if you want to- it is not necessary to reset them every time you pull the codes.
9. When finished, simply take your key out of the ignition.
How to Interpret Codes
Now, once you've pulled the codes (it will usually be a letter followed by four numbers), you can go to THIS SITE to get an interpretation of what they mean.
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