'97 Electrical Problem

[Jim Shoemaker]

My vette's been sitting in the garage for a couple months and I decided to give it a wash and wax today. The battery appeared dead when I went to start it, so I decided to jump it according to the owner's manual. As I connected the ground to the vette, the defroster fan began blowing (key wasn't even in the ignition!). Got it started and the fan continued blowing even though the climate controls all appeared to be off. I pushed the fan speed control down and the AC and recirculation buttons both lit up but the fan stopped blowing. Pushed the off button and both buttons went out, but the fan started again. Now I'm getting a bit confused. I also noticed that about every 5 seconds or so the clock would dim like there was excessive draw on the electrical system. I got out and listened to the engine idle and heard a clicking sound (like an electrical relay) that coincided with the clock dimming coming from the engine compartment fuse box. I turn off the car and the fan keeps blowing until the battery goes dead again. I had a battery leak a couple years ago that also affected the wiring harness so I checked to see if I had another leak (still using an AC Delco sidepost battery). No leak was evident and the wiring seemed okay. Anybody got a clue? Sorry, but I neglected to check the error codes before the battery went dead again.

Jim

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Jim Shoemaker,

Review the TSB here: http://corvetteactioncenter.com/kb/question.php?qstId=200

It sounds like a HVAC defect has caused your battery to run down. Good luck.

(My 1999 Artic White C5 coupe has the Firethorn Red interior too. You don't see many of them.)

 

[Jim Shoemaker]

99WhiteC5Coupe,

Thanks for the reply. From the way the TSB reads, it looks like that's the problem. Looks like another fair chunk of change to throw into the money pit. And I thought I'd already had every problem associated with the first model year; fuel pump noise, battery leak, steering column lock, fuel sensor/gauge problem, and now the HVAC software. What's next?

It's a good thing I love this car.

You're right about the firethorn interior; even though I think a red interior looks great with a white car, you don't see that many. I do prefer the torch red on the later models though.

Jim

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Jim Shoemaker,

Good luck on your repair - don't feel so bad. I waited until the third year of production so I could buy a C5 "with all the bugs worked out". It didn't work - my car has had nothing but a lot of defects. Most of them are ones that seem to be very common and problems that Chevrolet took years to fix (or still haven't fixed). The car is my third Corvette (1965 & 1973 & 1999) and is a lot of fun to drive. I just wish Chevrolet would have built a reliable car.

Good luck again.