C5 electrical irritation - any ideas?

[yellowshark454]

Got back from holiday a month back and the next morning went off to work, 1st time in the Vette for a couple of weeks. Could not place what was wrong, then eventually realised the digital clock ws not displaying, and yes the radio was not working. After 30 mins or so driving it all came on. Same the following morning excpet it was quicker coming on. Now this is happening every day but it often only takes a couple of mins to come on AND when I start up the car to come back home, say after standing for 8 hours, the clock/radio comes on as normal. Could it be a dry joint somewhere where the heat is gradually expanding it to make a connection? Some overnight condensation that dries out. Certainly the outside weather makes no difference, rain or not. I cant believe it is a loose connection. I'm stumped and I really do not want to give it to the garage to start pulling the fascia off. I can live without the radio but the clock is irritating.

[te51cle]

Sounds a bit odd, what battery voltage is showing on the DIC when the engine is switched off ?

[anonymous-user]

When my C5 battery went awol some years ago the first sign was that the dash electronics started to behave unpredictably. It was a few days before the car actually refused to start. Battery test could be a good place start your investigation - at least it's a cheap and easy check.

[vetteheadracer]

Think yourself lucky!

I have no dash and the radio works when it feels like it, no air con, no electric mirrors or windows.......but this will all be sorted soon and is a result of the upgrade to the Motec M800 ECU.

[LuS1fer]

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=896875


Batteries are critical on Corvettes. Many in the US swop them out and fit Optima Red Top batteries as the originals are also prone to leaking onto the computer. Low volts for example when the car battery has been run down can cause problems aplenty

>> Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 8th October 21:08

[yellowshark454]

te51cle said:

Sounds a bit odd, what battery voltage is showing on the DIC when the engine is switched off ?

It's 11.5 and went quickly up to 14.6, 14.7 when I start the engine. Interestly the clock was displaying when I turned on the ignition, which I suspect has been the case a couple of times in the last 2 weeks, but normally as I said it takes some minutes driving to appear.

Perhaps I ought to check the volts the next time it does not display?

[yellowshark454]

LuS1fer said:

<a href="http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=896875">http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=896875</a> Batteries are critical on Corvettes. Many in the US swop them out and fit Optima Red Top batteries as the originals are also prone to leaking onto the computer. Low volts for example when the car battery has been run down can cause problems aplenty >> Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 8th October 21:08

Are the Optimas available here?

[V8 ETE]

My Vette went crazy once on the electrical side, all sorts of weird stuff was going on. I disconnected the battery, checked the fuses and re connected, and everything went back to normal, that was 15 months ago.
Perhaps it's an earthing issue?

[yellowshark454]

V8 ETE said:

My Vette went crazy once on the electrical side, all sorts of weird stuff was going on. I disconnected the battery, checked the fuses and re connected, and everything went back to normal, that was 15 months ago. Perhaps it's an earthing issue?

Well I guess it could be, does the Radio have its own earth point? But to my mind the symptoms do not stack up with that. Once it comes on, it stays on FOREVER. And even standing during the day it comes on in the evening immdediatly I turn on the ignition. Which to my limited electical brain cell suggested it might be a dry joint getting warmed up but I sure do not fancy trying to pull the dashboard apart to find if such a thing exists!

[LuS1fer]

Optima Red Tops go under the Exide banner in Europe. Check out Corvette Forum for the precise model you need.