Hey everyone!! I must confess I am a Ford owner that just bought a '98 Vette last summer. I LOVE this car!!

Anyway, I just developed a really strange problem. I started and drove the car last weekend for a couple of trips. I went out the other day and it would not start. Message center was spitting a bunch of messages, all the dash lights seem to work, speedo went from one end to the other, but no crank. I thought it was a battery problem, talked to my neighbor who is a car geek and he said we should check it out with a meter. Anyway, I bought a new battery in and car started right up. I started it a few times with no problem. Problem solved!!Went back1.5 hours later andNO START! Neighbor came over and put a meter on and pulled every fuse and couldn't find anything wrong. Car started every time. We went for a ride and got a mile away and stopped to check out this new construction house. Car would not start. Neighbor told me to turn lights on and told me it was NOT the battery. He disconnected the battery and reconnected it and told me to start the car. It fired right up!! We went to a restaurant and 2 hours later the same thing happened. He disconnected the battery and reconnected it and she fired right up. The only thing I noticed is if the door is open and I hear the key chime, it will start, no chime=no start. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated!! Neighbor says it's got to be a relay or something like that getting reset when the battery is disconnected. I'm not very technical, so it's all greek to me.

 

Don't apologize for being a Ford owner. I am one too. I like all of them, as a matter of fact I have two Fords, one Toyota, aVolvo, a Subaru, a Harley and a Vette. I'm insurance POOR.

 

You got a security disablement [malfunction] of some sort.

 

Is that the best help I can get? Somebody has got to be able to give more guidance.
Thanks!

 

WELL! How 'bout if I give ya' double yer' money back whatcha' paid for the bad advice?

No start.
Air, gas, fire.
Let's start with fire, since a new battery was a temp fix, until it got drained...


EDIT:

Battery drain?

Unplug the battery.

Pull every fuse.

Test current with a multi-meterfrom the battery + post to the battery + cable. Should be NO draw, since all fuses are out. Got a draw? There's your problem.

Replace fuses one at a time, to 'SWITCHED' devices. These are the guys that come on only when the key is turned to 'ON'. After putting each one in, test for draw. Should be NO draw, since the key is off.

Repeat forUNswitched devices. You should get a fraction of an amp draw for some of these - they're the guys who are workin' 24/7, and they're designed to NOT take down the battery's charge.


ALSO: The 15 minute trip for ice cream should have charged the battery. You need to check the field output on the alternator (easy), and check the battery 's condition (trip to auto parts retailer - free).

< Message edited by cwb -- 7/20/2007 12:09:29 PM >

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Plain ole' '94. Clean. And tight.

If you own a vette, and you ain't rich, then buy a multi-meter. And a wiring diagram.

 

Hey, cwb, while I assume you mean well, your advise indicates you fail to actually READ the post BEFORE you reply which means your advise is worthless!!
For those that would bash me, check the facts!
First example: You told a guy with a no start who clearlyindicated his battery was getting drained over the course of 7-10 days that he had a security system malfunction. The SAME EXACT WORDS you told me. HE HAS A BATTERY DRAIN PROBLEM NOT AN ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM PROBLEM, genius!
Example 2:Here is a quote from my original post: "I thought it was a battery problem, talked to my neighbor who is a car geek and he said we should check it out with a meter. Anyway, I bought a new battery in and car started right up. I started it a few times with no problem. Problem solved!!Went back1.5 hours later andNO START! Neighbor came over and put a meter on and pulled every fuse and couldn't find anything wrong. Car started every time. We went for a ride and got a mile away and stopped to check out this new construction house. Car would not start. Neighbor told me to turn lights on and told me it was NOT the battery. He disconnected the battery and reconnected it and told me to start the car. It fired right up!!"
What part of already did that and IT AIN'T THE BATTERY DO YOU NOT GET???
If I have a DEAD/DISCHARGED BATTERY, I don't care how many times you disconnect and reconnect it, THE CAR WONT START!!! Also, where in my post did I say ANYTHING about a drained battery??

I came here with the assumption someone may have actually experienced this and could point me in the right direction. If you think it's the anti-theft system, how about some specific info that can be used to prove or disprove that. Can I disable the system completely? How? If the problem goes away then I know where to start looking.

Thanks!

 

Good come back!
Three suspects, IMO.
1. Battery (but it's o.k.)
2. Solinoid (when car doesn't start, do ya get a "click"? )
3. Ignition switch ( Ya might just try wigglin' the key and switch while tryin' to start.)

If not one of these, it sounds like a break down of an elec componant some where in line. I'm not real sharp on mod elec, but my old school always says, start with the basics and go from there. Sorry I can't be of more help here. [&o]

 

Thanks C3 Starship for the support and the advice. I pretty much figured I was shooting myself in the foot even though I was really trying to 'help' cwb, not hurt him, so it's good to know there is a greater sense of value here.

Anyway, when the car wouldn't start at the new construction site, my neighbor reached right over and wiggled the key and the switch, so he thought the same thing. He wants to discredit a connection or solenoid problem because the last time he loosened the neg cable just enough to break the connection and retightened it. Car started right up. His theory is that created so little movement of the neg cable only, that we should see some issues while driving as the cables and connections would get more jostled then. The only thing we noticed was if the door is open when you put the key in, if the door chime sounds the car WILL start. No door chime=no start

Thanks!!

 

Hi Black Knight and welcome again.
I think that most of us come to the forum to learn something. You have a 98 Vette, someone else my have the same year and a simular problem and he offers his solution, that may not solve your problem butthat doesn't mean that it was bad advise, it was just not the fix that you needed.
After owning your car for almost one year you should have a Haynes Manual the service and shop manual, while your waiting for an answer here take a look in there.
Owning a Vette is a fun thing, but you have to remember these are old used cars, so it can take a lot of repairs to keep them going.
Last word: There are some very helpfull people here and you can take there advise or not! A that includes my 2 cents worth.
Enjoy your ride! PG

 

Thanks for the welcome pg. I guess the burning issue is I never indicated the advice I got was bad, or anything to that effect, even. Here is an exact quote of what I said: "Is that the best help I can get? Somebody has got to be able to give more guidance.
Thanks!" Feel free to read every post in this thread and indicate where I stated that. That stated, I let the person whofelt it appropriate to flame me for asking for more help and indicating I got badadvice know that no help is better than wrong help. While I may be new to the vette, I am not new to car clubs or forums. I would hope someone would tell me and the person asking if I got something wrong and I'm used to that from the forums I've visited. The reality is the poster got an earfullbecause he was not helpful, just insulting. I came here because I figured it highly unlikely that I'm the only one who experienced this on a car that's been around for almost 10 years. I have no desire to reinvent the wheel or moustrap.
Just my $.02

So now 2 people here decided to put words in my mouth.