GhostC6

Ok, I have searched the forum and read all the different variations of this topic but I cannot find one just like mine so here goes.

Car was doing great, no problems, I had not put it on the battery tender for a week or two cause I was driving it some. Then the problem begins.

I go to start the car and all I get is a "Click" and it does not start. All the lights are on, everything appears normal except it will not start, just a "click".

So I put jumper cables on it from my other car and it starts right up. After running for a while I attempt to start it again and "click".

So I took the battery to sears and had it checked, it tested great, actually more CCA than rated, so it had a good charge and they run it through the drain test etc and it tested fine.

I thought it could be the crappy OEM connectors so I put a brand new pair of Gold high end connectors such as those used on high end stereo applications. I also cleaned the contacts on the battery and the ground point on the frame but I cannot locate the larger ground due to its location.

So after all this, I try and start it, "click", nothing.. I again jump it with my other car and it starts right up. I let it run a few minutes and then cut it off. Right after that I restart it 2 or 3 times and it works fine. So I was like great, problem fixed... Tried to start it this morning and "click".

So I took the negative battery cable and connected it to the negative terminal and to a place or two on the frame to see if was a ground issue (Not sure the ground was very good but I tried) and still, "click".

So that is where I am, no error messages, lights and sounds are normal, just will not start, or crank, just "click".

Can someone please help me get this fixed, since it will not continually start after jumping I am afraid to drive it and get stranded as I have no one to call or help (single and live alone). So please help me figure this out.

I have tried hitting the lock and unlock buttons prior to starting, still nothing, and I am letting it sit disconnected now and will connect it and try again, somewhere it said it may need a reset so I am trying that now.

Please help.

myfunz

Are you getting any codes from the Car? I still think the battery is the issue, how old is the battery? If you need to jump it I would replace the battery anyway.

tennblkc6

if it is starting up when you attach the jumper cables I suspect the battery. if the terminals are the same why don't you try swapping in the battery from the other vehicle.

GhostC6

OK, I reconnected the battery and "Click". So I jumped it again and first try, click, second try click, third try, starts right up... this was with a 1 second pause between clicks.

Checked DIC and voltage was 14.2, so that's where I am, now I am letting it sit, no battery tender, nothing, will try to refire it in a few minutes to simulate getting stranded at Wal-Mart... lol

Judgebull

Battery...loose internals short out at times and do not at other times...sulfate crud in the bottom of battery intermittently shorting plates. Take the battery out of another car and try it.

GhostC6

Will try to do that, the only one I have is in my Lexus, it is top post so it may, the cables on the C6 are cut short so not a lot of room to work with for sure. To be honest there is no label on the battery so I have no idea how new/old it may be. It was in the car when I bought it, that's why I like to buy my cars new, I know what has or has not been done and when, and how it has been treated. I guess that is what I do not understand, why the battery would test good if it is in fact bad. The one thing I did find unusual was this, the battery showed, when tested, that it was holding 990 CCA, and that seems high since most I have seen only store around 650 t0 700CCA. I wonder if the battery is messed up internally and generating too much power and have damaged or defective internals.

GhostC6

Its the Corvette demons, I decided that after I installed a part the first of the month I was not doing anything else and just going to enjoy it.

The Corvette Demon must be telling me I don't think so, you will keep spending money on me..lol Sometimes the g-forces of the money coming out of my wallet are stronger than the g-forces I feel during acceleration and cornering.

GhostC6

** UPDATE **

Previous post I jumped it at 1:30 and drove it around my apartment complex, then parked it. I let it sit, as if I was out and about, I just tried to refire it just now at 2:20 and it fired right up. I will try again in a few hours to see if it continues to fire normally.

If it does start normally the next few times, what should I do, consider it fixed with the corrections I have already taken, or, should I take it to Sears, AutoZone, Advanced Auto or similar and have it tested in car? Any suggestions?

Also, yes I have already placed the jumper cables in the trunk anticipating the most inconvenient time and place for it to resurface.

Tbong

I would take it to the Dealer or a Corvette Specialty Service Center. Personally I don't mess around with trying "fix things" myself. I figure if I can afford to drop $29K on a Vette as a toy, I can afford to pay professionals keep it running it tip top shape.

dcarter0001

It's most likely your battery, buy a new one and be done with it.

Rebel Yell

I wouldn't consider it fixed if your luck is like mine. It could be a bad cell in the battery that is causing you problems. I've never heard of a 660 CCA battery testing at 900 CCA's before. Of course I'm just guessing at all of this. Good luck, I know how frustrating electrical problems are.

cclive

You are not getting the current (big current for the starter) from the battery. It's either the battery or the connection that delivers the current from the battery.

rbell

Put on your big boy pants and put a new battery in it. Lol Also, I agree with Tbong stop doing the sears and AutoZone testing and diagnosis. The proof is in your own statement. You can't get 900 cca amps out of a 660 cca amp battery even if it's one hour old. They just don't get it. Being it starts with your jump vehicle it rules out anything wrong with your vette.

tennblkc6

this ^ beats paying the cost for a diagnosis at the stealership. plus...you get something in return instead of just a shaft.

HBsurfer

Buy a new battery. Every time you start the car you are sucking a lot of energy from the battery. Running it for a few minutes does not recharge it no matter how much juice the alternator is sending out. You have to drive it for a while to get it back fully charged. Putting in a new battery is way cheaper than going to a dealer and it will probably fix the problem. If it does not, you will still have a new battery and can eliminate that item from the equation.

GhostC6

True but as I just found out, new batteries sit on the shelf and discharge so I purchased a new battery and I am charging it prior to installing it. Because if it is not up to close to a full charge, it will not start and that will not be an accurate test to see if it solved the problem. So I have the new battery, it is installed except for the cable connections and is charging, once charged I will connect the terminals and try it. See what happens and then go from there, weather resolved or not resolved.

EVRose

You are right to charge it before installing/connecting. I bet your problem will be solved.

HBsurfer

Good luck. Hope this solves the problem.

GhostC6

Thanks, me too, as another precautionary measure, if it starts when charged, I am going to hop on the interstate and drive for about 30 minutes or longer, that way if the charger does not give it a true full charge, driving it should if the alternator is functioning properly.

So after the charge if it starts then a short drive and hopefully I am good to go. If not then I need to check all the connections, positive and negative on each end to see if that is the problem. If that does not resolve it, that leads me to believe it would be the starter solenoid. If so my mechanic will have to fix that, I have the knowledge and ability but due to the location and difficulty getting to it (from the bottom) behind the catalytic converter, I will leave that to him. A lift and air tools go a long way to making things easier.

dcarter0001

Let us know the results.