98 C5 Starts up, holds idle, then stalls when put into 1st gear???

[C598LS1]

This has just started happening. Its happened twice. 98 C5 6-speed, with 15k miles on it. The car will start, hold the idle just fine, and then when put into first gear or reverse, as you let out the clutch, the car's rpm's just drop and the car stalls completlely. Doesnt matter how much gas you give it. It happened saturday night. Funny thing is, i let it sit overnight and the next morning, it was fine and i drove it home. I dont see any code lights come up at all. I do notice that lately the lights have been flickering when you hit the brakes...the radio lights flicker as well, dash lights, and the DRL's at night when the headlights are off. It seems that there's something going through a "cycle" or a switch is activating on and off and the DRL's flicker when the car is on. Also, my headlight switch has been acting up. Sometimes, when i turn the stick to activate the headlgihts, the fog/parking lamps come on, but the headlights dont go up. It takes a couple tries. Saturday night they didnt go down!! Anyway, these issues, especially the first one are really bothering me. Can someone help me solve them? :W

 

[gmjunkie]

Run the Codes on it!! There's probly something in the the ECM shuting it Off!!

 

[DRTH VTR]

I have had a similiar thing happen once. Somehow the vehicle anti-theft system bacame activated. There was a message on the DIC (driver information center) that said "pull key wait 10 seconds". That fixed it.

 

[motorman]

check all the ground connections and have a load test done on the battery. these newer corvettes do not like low battery

 

[C598LS1]

I'll test the battery. Its a red-top Optima. If the ground connections are good and the battery is fine, then the alternator would be something to test, wouldnt it? Since i have very bad dimming lights?? I'll have to try and pull the codes. This has to be something relatively simple and not major. Like a sensor or something....

 

[vette747]

I agree with all above. Also, that could be the key pellet. Try cleaning the key with alcohol. Or the ignition switch could be doing that if it cannot make good contact to the key pellet and read the resistance. The BCM will believe that this is the wrong key and the PCM will shut down fuel at 2mph.

Or it can be more complex.

 

[C598LS1]

*********UPDATE**********

I havent had a chance to get the battery tested, but something happened today. I got in the car, tried to start it and got absolutley no lights, sounds...nothing. car would not start, no turning of the motor...nada. Then i got the "pull key wait 10 seconds" message.....did that, security light started flashing, put key back in, then the same thing happened. And the "pull key wait ten seconds" message didnt come back on this time. On top of that, yesterday, i pulled the following codes....all ending in H....

B2282
B2284
B2285
C1255
U1064

 

[vette747]

It point more and more to the battery. Make sure your battery wire are cleans and battery wire are thigh at 11lbs. B2282 and B2284 is battery fault at left door control module. You can open the driver door and pull on the accordian tube between door and body. You will find a connector. Open it and make sure all the connection are fine. This connector is knowed to make a lot of trouble i.e. reduce engine power. I hope that will be as simple as that.

 

[C598LS1]

Ok, just took the car to Advance Auto Parts and had the charging system tested. The battery tested fine, but the guy said the alternator seems at fault b/c the readings he was getting when the load was put on it were at 11.5 and dropping (or something like that) so he just shut it off. Its supposed to be soemwehre around 14.5 or more. Sound right? I dont understand how an alternator from a 1998 vehicle can go bad after just 14,500 miles. That bothers me. Going out right now to the car to check that connector.

 

[C598LS1]

Cant get the accordian tube between door and body seperated....

 

[vette747]

Cant get the accordian tube between door and body seperated....

Yes. this is not too easy. The door side is easier to remove than the car side. You can try to heat the accordian with an hair dryer to make it softer.

 

[vette747]

Ok, just took the car to Advance Auto Parts and had the charging system tested. The battery tested fine, but the guy said the alternator seems at fault b/c the readings he was getting when the load was put on it were at 11.5 and dropping (or something like that) so he just shut it off. Its supposed to be soemwehre around 14.5 or more. Sound right? I dont understand how an alternator from a 1998 vehicle can go bad after just 14,500 miles. That bothers me. Going out right now to the car to check that connector.

I read some problem with the alternator. If I recall correctly, there was a bad connection to the alternator body, but I'm really not sure. My alternator always stays above 13 volts on both of my vettes.

 

[C598LS1]

I forgot to mention that when he tested the battery, the guy noticed that the connection to the positive terminal was loose. He put a load on the battery and the car had absolutely no repsonse. No security lights, no cranking, nothing. When he did put the load on the alternator, the DIC read out "Charging System Fault." He tightened the loose connection to the battery, and on top of that did the same with the negatvive side. Since then, i havent noticed that when i brake, the lights on the dash, radio and all outside lights flicker. I think that solved that problem, and possibly more problems. But i probably still have an alternator issue....

 

[vette747]

Yes. That was one of the first thing to check; make sure they were torque to 11lbs. C5 computers are very sensitive to voltage.

I had loose cable at battery terminal on my C4 and the voltage was going any where from 15.5 to 12 volts and the dash light was flickering.

great you had the problem fixed.

 

[C598LS1]

I wouldnt say i'm out of the water with it just yet. If the alternator is truly bad, then i will have to change it. That will give me a good excuse to get some underdrive pulleys And since the factory exhaust separated at the welds just before the muffer, i will need a new exhaust system.......oh darn.....sounds like a headers-back system to meeee.......hahahhaa[evil laugh]