LovingMyC4

I was taking my C4 out for a drive yesterday. Everything was going great. I had her top off, music bumping and she was purring like she should.. until.. I came up to a big turn - she all of a sudden locked up. I could not turn and had no brakes. She slowly coasted to a stop and I realized that she, somehow, stalled.

I pushed in the clutch and she fired right back up and away I went.

For about 10 seconds there was shear panic and I could no longer control my Corvette. I am very glad there was no one coming the other way, and that this was not in a densely populated area. I did not crash, and I did not hit a curb on the other side (there was no curb on the other side).. I just did not like the fact that when she stalled everything stalled with her - steering and brakes

I do not know what caused this. Several things come to mind.. did I pop the clutch? Did I go to slow and not down shift? - I may never know.. but what I do know is, I do not wish this on anyone else.. it is a strange feeling not to have control of a 3,200 pound object, that you are strapped to, going straight on a sharp turn at 40 mph - with no steering and no brakes..............

She did good, and stopped before I smacked into something.. or someone I have had her for several years and this is the first time she tried to kill me...

eschoendorff

YIKES! Glad no one was hurt

aDigitalPhantom

Even when the engine is off you still have steering, and brakes. It does require more effort because the power assist needs the engine running.

Want stiff steering go drive a lifted truck without power steering, and about 38" tires.

LovingMyC4

lol It was freaky. If I was expecting it I would have been more prepared.

pologreen1

In my experience if the car is moving even when not powered the faster you are moving the easier to steer. You would have had steering either way.

If the engine stumbled and shut off all the dash lights would have come on and you would know.

If the car is stick and the engine shut off the car would skid out depending what gear you are in and what speed. I have done it. If you push the clutch in and let it out in time it would have pop started itself IF there was not a fuel issue or something.

I guess we don't have all the details with out being there, but I have had this happen in 2 cars I have owned before.

LovingMyC4

Yes, I thought of all of this after the fact. When it is happening, I did not think to look at the dash or even pop the clutch, I was in a panic lol - I know to do all of this IF it happens again

Paul Workman

I expect your not alone. From time to time my Z (which essentially uses the same ECM as a late 80s base C4 model) will do that; not on a regular enough basis to track it down, except (perhaps I'm alone on this) on longish deceleration from mid to high rpm; but even then, only occasionally.

I've learned the predominant conditions when it might happen, and am ready to avoid the stalling if I blip the throttle, just once. That little bit of preventive medicine will correct itself immediately...until next time*.

If it does stall completely, letting the clutch out (if depressed) and blipping the throttle and everything seems to "reset" and it may be fine the rest of the day...or do it again on the next turn: no way to know for sure.

Kind of a PIA, to be sure. And, if I ever run it to ground, I'll post it up for y'all to see and maybe helps someone avoid an issue.

aDigitalPhantom

You need to learn to expect the unexpected then.

LovingMyC4

Thanks A few times she has stalled at stop signs and traffic lights, all due to human error.. sometimes it is embarrassing, when you are trying to roast some ricer next to you lol - but this was not like that. This was strange. The few times she has stalled at stop signs and traffic lights, it was all due my error - foot off clutch too soon or stuff like that.

TorchTarga94

What year?

PLRX

Heck that happened to me yesterday on a turn. I had to wrestled it out not to hit that white car. Just like you, it started right away.

I assume 20+ year old car do that.

LovingMyC4

My C4 is a 1987

LovingMyC4

Wow, 2 Corvette's doing it on the same day.. maybe the movie "Maximum Overdrive" is coming true.. lol

B17Crew

Glad you came out unscathed.

It’s not a Corvette only thing, it’s a GM thing.

Had the exact thing happen in my DD Buick LeSabre in heavy rush hour traffic while in a gradual turn on the highway. Had to throw it in neutral and restart on the fly. All the while standing on the breaks and working the wheel, everything was fine after that. The next day, I traded it in for a new Buick LaCrosse. LeSabre had over 100K on the clock.

B17Crew

Rod Schneider

Just curious, was there less than 1/2 tank of fuel in the car? A common problem is the gasoline sloshing away from the fuel pickup in the tank on corners, which will starve the engine.

whalepirot

My first thought, seeing this a few times. New guys learning their cars?

The Thomas J

Similar thing happened to me yesterday in traffic coming to a stop light. Car died. Started right back up and I never came to a stop. Kind of freaked me out for a couple of seconds.

LovingMyC4

Lol - Nope, I am not new to Corvette's. This is my 3rd

LovingMyC4

Hmm, yes it had a 1/2 tank I will have to check out. I tried to redo it, at a lower speed, on a back road, and it did not do it.

whalepirot

Sorry. This is my 6th and the first to slosh over to the angular cough.