Not a real happy camper right now.

Car didn't want to start this evening. Positive battery cable was a bit loose, the threads in the battery are worn. Used an old trick to tighten them up by laying a small piece of soldering wire on the battery threads, tightened right up and ran great Best battery voltage numbers I have ever seen on this car.

Come out to go home, hit the key, "CLICK", and everything goes dark. Wiggle Positive cable and everything comes back to like. Hit the key and "CLICK" all circuits are dead.

Dropping off the key in the morning so the garage can pick it up and diagnose. Stay tuned, it doesn't feel cheap. I am betting starter.

WE know how you feel, Ken, only all too well. I'll be waiting for the update. Might as well spring for a new battery and connector while your there. Throw some money at it.

That sucks, Ken.

Car is being picked up this morning. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. Also told them that since the credit card was already crying to go ahead and do an oil change on it as well. What's another $100 between friends.

Vette mojo - hope it is something inexpensive, if such a thing exists.

Of course the best part of last night was the almost 4 mile walk home. Good exercise, took about an hour and 15 minutes.

Sounds like a new battery and bolt are in order. Keep us posted.

Sounds like a bad battery, bad cable or bad connection to the starter, Ken.

Wiggling the cable completes the circuit and turns the low amp stuff back on but calling for a high amp load (starter) doesn't work because of too much resistance. And that shuts the path off again. I've seen this happen before.

I don't think it's in the electronics (computer, ign. switch, etc).

I just talked to the shop, I am next in line.

BillH, I agree with you, I don't think it is in the electronics. It is something "simple" somewhere between the battery and the Starter.

And wouldn't you just know it. They are having absolutely no problem getting it to start. Started it about 10 times with no problems. They are going to keep it overnight and see what it is doing in the morning.

They did notice that the rear tires are about ready to be replaced (Tell me something I don't know) and a rear wheel bearing is getting worn. Springtime items.

If you have a loose connection it isn't going to just fix itself. Did they check everything out or just turn the key and said ..... Oh look, it starts. Was something loose? Was something replaced? Were you drinking mass quantities before you tried to start the car? I hate stuff that ain't broke. It's so hard to fix.

They said everything was tight and had no problem starting it repeatedly.

I got to thinking, the only thing different was they had my backup key, not the one I was using. Stopped by just to see and nope, no problem with that key either.

Chatted with our grand poobah earlier, he suspects the battery. I just don't know.

They are going to keep it overnight and see how it acts in the morning. Fingers are crossed.

vette mojo indeed. never fails, when you take it to be fixed it acts like it's supposed to.

Quote:

If it was me and they find nothing tomorrow.

I'd bring it home and replace the battery (for ONLY one reason) , the stripped terminal. It's a failure waiting to happen, over torqueing the terminal may have done something internally but with those stripped threads - get rid of it.

I'd also replace that positive cable. An AC Delco replacement is $42 at RockAuto without the discount, $26 for a Standard Motor Products one (decent quality).
Note that there are different cables for side or top post batteries.

I'd do it just for the peace of mind.

I'm with Bill on this one... replacing the battery is cheap insurance.

As I suggested, head down to Summit Racing and get an Optima Red Top. Do you have a battery tender for it? Optima makes one special for their batteries.

Not sure what happened to my post from this morning, but it isn't here.

Watch these videos I took of Paul Koerner (a world class Corvette Technician) talking about the 'column lock issue of C5s. Within the videos, I don't remember if it was in the first or second one, he discusses the importance of the battery and the roll it plays in making sure everything works right.

http://www.vettetube.com/paul-koerner ... tte-column-lock-issues-2/

http://www.vettetube.com/paul-koerner ... colum-lock-issues-part-2/

Here is the latest update. I got the car back last Thursday and it hasn't missed a beat since. They checked and tightened all the connections and didn't find anything. The battery cable is tighter than it has ever been. The volt meter is staying nice and stable, no wild fluctuations like I have become used to. Since I only have a couple of weeks left in this driving season, I am going to delay replacing the battery until I get the car back out in the spring. I will have the battery tender on it over the winter. Of course this is all subject to change if it dies again.

Did you read the 87 no start thread? Similar, yet different.

Electronics in plastic cars... so much fun to make work right...

Ken - Glad you have it resolved for so little effort!!! Annoying, yes, but the fix was basic and elemental and that's always nice!

Did it occur during very wet/humid weather? I've seen that happen, and then on a dry afternoon it'd work perfectly. Also it's hard to see corrosion on lead terminals by just looking at them. I remove the cable and sand the post aggressively to a shine.

Yep, shiny is good.

And I've been using Vaseline on battery terminals since I was a teenager. I've never had corrosion cause a problem.