Rissa

Hello, I have a 2008 z06 and for the past few weeks it has been a little sluggish when starting. It would crank a few times and then fire up. Well yesterday after driving it most of the day, it barely started and once it did the display looked like this:



I took it over to autozone to have the battery tested. While driving I couls feel it hesitating or sputtering. The battery tested fine. I started the car(was lucky it even started this time) and they tested the alternator and starter. The alternator passed, but it seemed the starter is dying. I decided to take it to the dealer since I didn't think I'd be able to get it started again and I didn't want to have to tow it. I posted on fb to see other peoples' input, as I am hoping it is just the starter, but I got a loooott of mixed answers(some very serious and worrisome). Could a bad starter be causing the CEL, tcs light, and hesitation while driving? I am awaiting the dealership's call.

Unreal

No a bad starter would not cause hesitation when driving. You should have had autozone pull the codes. It could be anything. Bad plug, bad plug wire, wire fell off, any number of sensors failed, intake pipe loose, carbon pad loose, vacuum leak, all the way to the motor starting to sieze.

Does the tach work? Looks like the car is on by oil pressure/etc but tach reads zero. That could be a crank/cam sensor.

spy2520

Definitely strange to have oil pressure without rpms. Leaning towards a sensor as well.

Rissa

I'm waiting for them to call me back but nothing so far

Rissa

Tach reads just fine. Would that explain the car being really slow to start thought the past month?

Unreal

It could, along with 100 other things. That is why the car has CE light with codes associated with it, so you know where to look. Without a code, it is shooting in the dark.

spy2520

I believe a faulty cam/crank sensors will cause difficulty starting, and hesitating/sputtering. I would think a crank sensor wouldn't allow the car to start at all. But the cam sensor may just cause the issues you're describing. On the LS1 pcms if there was no cam signal at start-up the pcm would attempt to flip the signal, eventually starting either way. I think it also altered the spark in some way.

Not a guarantee, but I'd definitely lean towards a sensor/electrical issue.

Doesn't explain the traction message though.

Rissa

I know how codes work, but I do not have a code reader myself, and I didn't want to take it home and mess with it because I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have started at all, and then I would have had to get it towed(which is a pain in the ***). I wish I was able to pull the code but unfortunately this is what I'm working with. The car has been at the dealership since yesterday and still no call. Getting a lil annoyed.

racerx3317

Try disconnecting the big blue plug from your computer, located in the passenger side footwell. See if the connections look clean. I hear if they oxidize it can cause electrical gremlins like what you have.

Rissa

Well update and I'm pretty ****in mad. Just like most people, they think just because I'm a girl I don't know wtf I'm talking about. They had the car ALL DAY and call me and say it needs a new battery. Now I'm sitting here like hmmmm the battery is a little over a year old, car is ran plenty, and afterall the battery tested fine, it was the starter that was bad. They say the starter is fine. I asked about the codes, he said they were codes in history, not current but funny enough P0336 was the only one. I'm going to pick it up thursday, put the new battery in and take it home so they can't touch it. They clearly don't know wtf they are doing.

Unreal

Shouldn't take them more than 60 seconds to pull the code. I'm surprised autozone didn't' offer since they do it for free.

You can get a $30-40 code reader and run over and check the code yourself, then again it is at the dealer already so probably going to wait on them no matter what.

Could be starter, could be cam sensor. Mine use to take a long time to start/etc when cam sensor was going out. Could be burnt plug/wire.

Crank sensor wouldn't fire at all.

Stock intake? Could be the carbon pad came off. Seen that a few times.

spy2520

crank sensor code huh. Surprisingly, looks like the car would still crank and start with either p0335 or p0336, just takes a while. At any rate, if all it needs is a new crank position sensor that ain't so bad. Drop the starter, pop the new one in. The code is probably in the history because either you or the dealer disconnected the battery to test it.

Some useful info maybe.

Action Taken When the DTC Sets

DTC P0336 is a Type B DTC.
The CMP actuator if equipped is commanded to the parked position.
The ignition system defaults to a limp home mode. The CMP sensor is used to determine engine position.
Conditions for Clearing the DTC

DTC P0336 is a Type B DTC.

Diagnostic Aids

With this DTC set, the engine may crank for an extended period of time during start-up.
This test procedure requires that the vehicle battery has passed a load test and is completely charged. Refer to Battery Inspection/Test.

boost2na

I'm having the exact same problem. Unfortunately it's not fixed but I can give you some additional insights. Like others have said, it's a crank position sensor code. And the tachometer will die sometimes. In the pic you posted you can see oil pressure, coolant temp. are nonzero, but RPMs are zero, which is impossible if the car is on, should at least be idling.

Anyway, I've taken mine to a really good mechanic and you are correct. It is not the battery. He actually thought that the starter was fine too. With my car, the problem only happens when I hot start it and it's really hot outside. Never happens when I cold start it. So I'm convinced the temperatures are impacting something, it could even be something like expanding and contracting wires or a ground issue which could be a nightmare.

I have a ridiculous work schedule, so I haven't had time to take mine back in yet, but I've come up with a half assed solution. I only drive the car when I can cold start it, get it to where I'm going, and know that I'll be there long enough for it to cool off for at least an hour. And then it restarts just fine. You need to tell the dealership, or someone, that the problem only happens when hot, cold start it, drive it over there, turn it off hot, and then immediately turn it back on in front of them. It will throw the code again, tach may die, etc. If you drop it off they'll cold start it, everything will look fine, code will disappear, they'll have nothing to go on.

It may also go into a limp mode too, be careful with that one. Your RPMs will be limited to something like 2000, the tach will be dead, and you'll be short shifting every gear, will feel like a lawn mower with 12 hp.

Hope this helps. If I get mine fixed I'll let you know.

Unreal

Crank sensor is easy to get to, it is above the starter. I would start with replacing that. If I was local I would come over and do it.

New battery never hurts though.

Rissa

So I went to go pick up the car because I was going to replace the battery myself but it wouldn't start at all. So now it is stuck at the dealer. I'm going to get a battery at costco and put it in and see if that makes a difference, if not I'm ordering a crank shaft position sensor from amazon.

Rissa

Bump...

spy2520

Is it cranking?

LFZ

Do you have anything installed in your OBDII...like a window valet or Dashlogic?

pkincy

Once it is at the Stealership, you might as well have them do the battery. It may cost an extra $100, but that way if it works you are good. If not it is already there for them to chase down the actual cause (assuming the battery isn't it.)

As above make sure when you pick it up you drive it around for 15 minutes and then go back and be near the service entrance and turn it off and try and hot start it. Then if it as above is a hot start problem they will know what they need to chase.

In my experience Stealers are expensive but on current or nearly current models they have the techs with the best training on these incredibly interconnected electonic elements in a vehicle.

Rissa

Well they just called me and told me to not bother bringing a battery. The tech put a new one in and the car still will not start at all. I told them to check the oil level and to look into the crank position sensor more...I have nothing installed in the OBDII, and now it won't even crank.