ANOTHER problem.... these cars are junk
06-10-2009, 10:59 AM
#41
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I didn't have a 1/4 ratchet with a long enough handle. However, I did have a 3/8" flex head ratchet with a reducer. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. I knew the stud was delicate so I ran one nut down gently and stacked a 2nd nut behind it (gently, or so I thought). It was the 2nd nut that destroyed it (although, one could argue the case could have been damaged from the first). In any event, lesson learned on this one. I'm sure I'll be overly cautious from now on. 
06-10-2009, 11:09 AM
#42
I'm glad you don't drive a similar age German car. You might have committed suicide by now.
06-10-2009, 11:37 AM
#43
Race Director
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06-10-2009, 11:44 AM
#44
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For people that actually drive these cars I agree they are an engineering failure. How many years has GM been making fiberglass cars and still cant get the ground issues figured out? Weatherstripping rivals that of a make shift camping tent.
What were these cars designed for? To drive or sit in the garage and drive like Miss Daisy to the store once a month?
For those that actually drive these cars they are nothing but problems.
My 99 transam is a work of art compared to how these are built. T-tops and all I can go through the high pressure car wash and not leak a drop. My 99 FRC......trunk leaks, quarters leak, door window weather stripping leaks.
I do love the cars looks and driving it. But it is honestly more work to maintain as a daily driver than my 72 Nova minitubbed with a turbo 5.3 in it. Stored for 3 months you think the vette will start....hell no. Nova....not a hesitation.
Its bad when you have to damn near fully restore a vette thats 10 years old.
What were these cars designed for? To drive or sit in the garage and drive like Miss Daisy to the store once a month?
For those that actually drive these cars they are nothing but problems.
My 99 transam is a work of art compared to how these are built. T-tops and all I can go through the high pressure car wash and not leak a drop. My 99 FRC......trunk leaks, quarters leak, door window weather stripping leaks.
I do love the cars looks and driving it. But it is honestly more work to maintain as a daily driver than my 72 Nova minitubbed with a turbo 5.3 in it. Stored for 3 months you think the vette will start....hell no. Nova....not a hesitation.
Its bad when you have to damn near fully restore a vette thats 10 years old.
06-10-2009, 01:47 PM
#45
Race Director
Sounds like you got unlucky. My experience has been the opposite. And I came from a Nissan Maxima, I was expecting this car to break down left and right. My C5 is my only car I've had it since Jan 03. Put over 100k miles on it myself. I drive it rain, shine and even snow (with snow tires). Yes, I've had to correct some things, mostly minor but mine doesn't leak, has been reliable etc.
06-10-2009, 04:39 PM
#47
I agree with you 100% I had a lower milage 2000 frc that every week I was having problems with. None (other than the clutch
) was from my abuse, just poor build quality. Leaking roof(hardtop!)leaking diff,leaking trans,bad syncros(maby my fault) bad harmonic balencer,bad oil sending unit, bad fuel level sending unit(twice),both window regulators,climate illumination,horn switch in airbag, keyless entry,2 headlamp muiltifunction switches,door panels peeling, center coulsole brittle and cracking, ect... I loved and hated the car at the same time. I would chose between my 50Kmi c5 and my 160Kmi amg that cost me $9K(I paid $24 for the c5) to drive and 9 times out of 10 I would chose the c43 amg. That car has never had a single problem,just maintnence and it wouldn't **** me off every time i drove it. I since have sold the c43 to a freind and it still runs and drives like new. I now have a s600 v12 twin turbo with a reflash and it runs low 11's
not as reliable as the c43 but much more reliable than the c5. I'm not hatin on c5's I still love them. In fact I am using one for a donor for a chevelle project I'm building. Just dont lie to yourself and believe they have the best build quailty. Good luck, and I don't mean to be a ***, I've just been there before
06-10-2009, 05:40 PM
#48
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I agree with you 100% I had a lower milage 2000 frc that every week I was having problems with. None (other than the clutch) was from my abuse, just poor build quality. Leaking roof(hardtop!)leaking diff,leaking trans,bad syncros(maby my fault) bad harmonic balencer,bad oil sending unit, bad fuel level sending unit(twice),both window regulators,climate illumination,horn switch in airbag, keyless entry,2 headlamp muiltifunction switches,door panels peeling, center coulsole brittle and cracking, ect... I loved and hated the car at the same time. I would chose between my 50Kmi c5 and my 160Kmi amg that cost me $9K(I paid $24 for the c5) to drive and 9 times out of 10 I would chose the c43 amg. That car has never had a single problem,just maintnence and it wouldn't **** me off every time i drove it. I since have sold the c43 to a freind and it still runs and drives like new. I now have a s600 v12 twin turbo with a reflash and it runs low 11's not as reliable as the c43 but much more reliable than the c5. I'm not hatin on c5's I still love them. In fact I am using one for a donor for a chevelle project I'm building. Just dont lie to yourself and believe they have the best build quailty. Good luck, and I don't mean to be a ***, I've just been there beforeAh nuts... I forgot about the diff leak. I haven't had that one yet... but maybe I haven't been looking hard enough.
06-10-2009, 05:58 PM
#49
Burning Brakes
disclaimer
. This is only my observation and your results may vary.
The sears battery is bad. PERIOD!.
I went through about 5 batteries in 3 years when I finally wrote sears
. They refunded the price on 1. The name says it all Diehard
I can't tell you how many alternators sears tryed to sell me. Then the number of times I got stuck out for dead battery. Once was going to the airport to catch a plane. Do you need to know the results of that one.
Your alternator and car is OK,, GET A DIFFERENT BRAND BATTERY
Or the other option is throw mega $$ at your car and let someone else tell your battery had an internal short/leakage then buy one.
I am sure Sears
business puts out the best product for the value they can.
PS on C5 quality. Mine has 85,000 miles and been a fantastically reliable car exclusive of memory seats.
. This is only my observation and your results may vary.The sears battery is bad. PERIOD!.
I went through about 5 batteries in 3 years when I finally wrote sears
. They refunded the price on 1. The name says it all Diehard I can't tell you how many alternators sears tryed to sell me. Then the number of times I got stuck out for dead battery. Once was going to the airport to catch a plane. Do you need to know the results of that one.
Your alternator and car is OK,, GET A DIFFERENT BRAND BATTERY
Or the other option is throw mega $$ at your car and let someone else tell your battery had an internal short/leakage then buy one.
I am sure Sears
business puts out the best product for the value they can.PS on C5 quality. Mine has 85,000 miles and been a fantastically reliable car exclusive of memory seats.
Good Luck and I hope you can get to enjoy the car.
06-11-2009, 12:07 PM
#50
Safety Car
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Toyota? Take a ride down to your nearest yota dealer and see that their service departments are overun with their well documented engine problems!This thread was caused by the owner,NOT the car!
06-11-2009, 01:28 PM
#51
Safety Car
Thread Starter
06-11-2009, 03:04 PM
#52
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...10/072401.html http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/26/m...for-3-million/ (and all the dodge guy recieved was a book ) If you look the highest milage vehicles in the world are european. You just need to make sure you have a qualified tech working on it. They are far diffrent than a chevy small block. When I had my 160k mi mercedes c43 and my 50k mi c5, my c43 felt newer. The seats had no ware, no rattles, car felt tight, everything worked, The same could not be said for the c5. They were both from the same era (98mb,2000c5) around the same price when new, both had over 300hp v8's with rwd, but the benz had bigger brakes(with 2 peice rotors) real leather interior,and 4 doors. Well I was so happy with the mb' poor quality I sold the c5 and c43 and baught a even bigger and much faster benz. It runs low 11's on a all stock drivetrain other than a reflash. I just wish it had that big cam sound like my c5
06-11-2009, 04:14 PM
#53
Racer
Well, I can sympathize with you if you are having all those problems. But, I do have a suggestion....If you dont like the car, sell the darn thing. I will put the quality of a Vett up against any car on the market, at any price! 
06-12-2009, 05:45 PM
#54
Pro
The voltage (according to DIC) drops to 11.1 with the turn of the key. I think there is a charging issue also (see comment about car dying), which might explain why the battery isn't staying at 12v+ during normal driving. It seems the two issues may be caused by the same culprit (as Bill mentioned).
A dying battery shouldn't make the car stop working? The alternator wire is crimped into the battery cable with another cable running to the fuse box (I assume). If I disco the battery after the car is started, shouldn't it still run?
A dying battery shouldn't make the car stop working? The alternator wire is crimped into the battery cable with another cable running to the fuse box (I assume). If I disco the battery after the car is started, shouldn't it still run?
06-12-2009, 07:29 PM
#55
Le Mans Master
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Wow, a Corvette bashing thread, nice.
I would go into the German cars more, but I'll curb my thoughts(ahem)
Anyway, sounds dumb and could also have been mentioned in a post somewhere, but have you checked the terminals for corrosion? The reason I asked is that I had a similar problem with mine after I got a tune. I called the company and told them that the tune is making my car buck and the voltage was all screwy. They said it was the terminals. I told them that I checked them and the looked fine. They said take a screwdriver to the mating side and scrape it. Well crap, I did that and sure enough there was a gray layer of corrosion. It was the EXACT same color as the metal terminal. Cured it instantly. Just a shot.
Also, did Sears just check the sitting voltage of the battery or did they do a load test on it?
I would go into the German cars more, but I'll curb my thoughts(ahem)
Anyway, sounds dumb and could also have been mentioned in a post somewhere, but have you checked the terminals for corrosion? The reason I asked is that I had a similar problem with mine after I got a tune. I called the company and told them that the tune is making my car buck and the voltage was all screwy. They said it was the terminals. I told them that I checked them and the looked fine. They said take a screwdriver to the mating side and scrape it. Well crap, I did that and sure enough there was a gray layer of corrosion. It was the EXACT same color as the metal terminal. Cured it instantly. Just a shot.
Also, did Sears just check the sitting voltage of the battery or did they do a load test on it?
06-13-2009, 12:59 AM
#56
As an ex-toyota mechanic i can say that toyotas are NOT built any better than gm cars. And they cant even compare to a c5 or c6 vette. That being said if people are this bent out of shape about their vette why not get rid of it? Im not attacking anyone im just puzzled that someone can be so upset at their vette but continue to drive and maintain them when they could just move on and alleviate their stress. This is just my opinion, no harm meant.
p.s. I daily drive my 01z and have not had any issues with the car. Hands down the best vehicle that i have ever owned.
p.s. I daily drive my 01z and have not had any issues with the car. Hands down the best vehicle that i have ever owned.
06-13-2009, 03:13 AM
#57
Drifting
Back to the topic at hand. Tech, I'm glad that you solved your problem. I have had some of the same problems that you had, EBCM, Column Lock issues, Pull Key for 10 secs etc., & some rear axle issue that I can't describe. This stuff all seems very minor compared to my last car, a modded 1993 Madza Rx7tt(340 rwhp @ 2,800 lbs.). That car was an absolute blast to drive...WHEN IT RAN. Three engine rebuilds and a whole host of other mechanical issues makes my Z06 seem ultra-reliable.
This thread is making me want to renew my extended warranty
Last edited by jpandes; 06-13-2009 at 03:25 AM.
06-13-2009, 09:34 AM
#58
Melting Slicks
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Glad you got it fixed.
To the C5 Nay sayers, I've got 130k on my '99 (all mine) it's a daily driver and yes I've had to replace a few things some major. But, the pleasure I receive driving and working on this car far out weighs any of the problems. Driving a Vette is a personal choice that I don't regret.
To the C5 Nay sayers, I've got 130k on my '99 (all mine) it's a daily driver and yes I've had to replace a few things some major. But, the pleasure I receive driving and working on this car far out weighs any of the problems. Driving a Vette is a personal choice that I don't regret.
06-14-2009, 02:58 AM
#59
Drifting
I agree 100%....C5s ARE junk. Please pm me and I will relieve you of your pain and gladly take them off your hands. C5s aren't for just anybody. However for those who persevere, they are the best cars in the world to drive and enjoy. I have both a C5 and a C6 Z06 and I hate them both!
06-14-2009, 07:20 AM
#60
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Here's a short list of the problems I've already fixed... over the past 2 years...
EBCM, dim HVAC display, column lock, window motor, hazard switch, oil pressure sending unit, valve spring, faulty door wiring, water leak, charging/starting issue, oil consumption, piston slap, and I'm sure a few other odds/ends. Being a "Chevy guy", I'm prepared to replace window and headlight motors. However, more than half of those things shouldn't fail in GM's premium sports car. We all know the LSX is a great engine... but the electronics keep me up at night.
EBCM, dim HVAC display, column lock, window motor, hazard switch, oil pressure sending unit, valve spring, faulty door wiring, water leak, charging/starting issue, oil consumption, piston slap, and I'm sure a few other odds/ends. Being a "Chevy guy", I'm prepared to replace window and headlight motors. However, more than half of those things shouldn't fail in GM's premium sports car. We all know the LSX is a great engine... but the electronics keep me up at night.