I'm in the market for a C5 Z06 and I'm curious if there are common problem areas to look for on these cars. Thanks in advance.

--Neil

 

HI NEIL. NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE CASE ON THE Z06, BUT MY FIRST C5 WAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION THAT HAD AN EXTREMELY SLOW LEAK. RIGHT AFTER MY TRANNY HAD TO BE RESEALED OR REBUILT (CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH), I HEARD ABOUT MANY OTHER MANUAL TRANNY'S HAVING THIS PROBLEM.

I'M SURE OTHERS ON THE FORUM KNOW MORE ABOUT THE Z06 ISSUES. GOOD LUCK!

 

These are the common problems that should've been resolved in an older C5:

Column lock failure (steering wheel locks-up): If it's an auto (A4), then the dealership should've removed the mechanism and installed a block-off plate. If it's a 6-speed (MN6), the dealer cannot do the same, so make sure the previous owner installed a Column Lock Bypass (keeps the locking pin in the retracted position).

Leaky differential gaskets: These should have been replaced, as factory seals leaked by 20,000 miles.

Door lock modules: When they fail, arming the car with the remote fails to lock one or both doors. This is a relatively simple installation, but make sure both door locks work.

Fuel gage/sender unit malfunction: Make sure the fuel gage reads accurately when the tank is below half-full. Earlier years had problems.

Oil pressure sender unit. If this fails, the oil pressure gage will show 80 psi. If so, the sender unit needs replacement.

Horn not working when the steering wheel center hub is pressed – turns out it was a bad ground connection.

That's all I can think of right now.

The horsepower for 97-2000 is 345 with 350 lbs-ft of torque. The 01-04s have 350 HP and 375 lbs-ft (MN6) or 360 lbs-ft (A4s) of torque.

The improvements in 2001 are listed here:
http://www.corvettemuseum.com/specs/2001/index.htm

I believe in 2000, an airbag switch was added so that you can have a kid ride in the passenger seat. Without this switch, the airbag could cause serious injury to young children. Also, at some point, active handling and HUD (heads up display) was added (maybe in 2000?).

 

Thanks very much for the response. Are there any body/paint, chassis, or leak-prone areas to look at closely?

 

The wire loom in the driver's door hinge area can conceal frayed wires, which can lead to intermittant electrical failure. My 2001 has never had this problem, but you might want to jiggle this area around when the car is running to be sure it isn't halfway there. Other than the diff leak, the only other things to check are the battery (97-2000 batteries tended to leak from the positive terminal post, but your Z should be okay here) and the master cylinder cover - brake fluid tends to weep onto the lip - no big deal, just wipe it up every couple of months.

 

I don't mean to hi-jack but I have A FRC vette, (same body style as z06) and my carpet under my driver side seat is damp after it rains. Is there any leak areas as far as letting water into the cockpit?

 

Mercury,

Chances are, the udders are plugged:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ght=water+leak

Dave