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98 Corvette electrical???????? I'm lost

  • Thread starter Vineyard Scrimshander
  • Start date
V

Vineyard Scrimshander

Guest
Just purchased this vette and drove cross country and back. Hit some bad, bad road in Kentucky and the DIC changes to service ride control. OK I'm in the middle of nowhere and need to get home so a few hundred miles later I start getting all kinds of messages. Dash gauges shut down, security light comes on, bells chime and I hear the door locks open or close. traction light comes on and off, sometimes I see the ABS light, the horn blows on its own(on ocassion). New messages, tire monitor check on DIC (tires are OK). Then a click and the gauges are working again. When the gauges shut down I lost radio, heater,air, driving lights and probably other things. All come back when the gauges return to normal. I know I did some damage on the rough road as a small rod with plastic caps on the rear left shock was broken. Not sure what its called. When I clear the DIC I always get the shock warning when the key is turned on. I drove it for a couple of days when I returned home and everything worked as it should, then right back to the same issues. During the course of a day the thing might screw up for 10 miles , then might be OK for 2 miles. Mostly it screws up all the time.The gauges can easily go on and off several times within the hour. The engine always runs fine except I can't go over 80mph (The car really means it) I found this out the hard way in the passing lane. Anyway I left the car with my favorite mechanic and he is now scratching his head so any help would be much appreciated
 
First I would replace the known broken part on the rear shock. The computer knows it's broken, and is limiting your speed as a safety measure.
Then see how it goes. Clear your DIC memory and drive it to see if the problem has been fixed. If it still throws error codes, read them off the DIC and see if what they are.
http://www.stengel.net/diccodes.htm
http://www.corvettedoctor.com/Code_Main.html

The there is the gauge issue.
Remove your drivers side engine cover on top of the fuel rail. The wire harness that runs along the top of the head has a tendency to chafe at the rear of the engine, right where it runs along the bracket for the fuel rail.
Check that harness for worn insulation at the corner of the bracket. Tape up any worn insulation on the wires and put some electrical tape or foam insulating tape on the sharp edge of the bracket. See this post for details.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73563
 
98 Corvette Electrical ????????????

Thanks for all the info. I took the Vette to my mechanic as I am not familiar with the C5, only owned it for 1 1/2 months. I have down loaded any info I could find on this site and will deliver to him on Monday. Sounds like a few simple fixes but I had other problems that needed shop work anyway. I put 6500 miles on in 3 weeks and it took its toll, but what a fun time. Hope I'm back in the drivers seat next week. Thanks Again Don.


First I would replace the known broken part on the rear shock. The computer knows it's broken, and is limiting your speed as a safety measure.
Then see how it goes. Clear your DIC memory and drive it to see if the problem has been fixed. If it still throws error codes, read them off the DIC and see if what they are.
http://www.stengel.net/diccodes.htm
http://www.corvettedoctor.com/Code_Main.html

The there is the gauge issue.
Remove your drivers side engine cover on top of the fuel rail. The wire harness that runs along the top of the head has a tendency to chafe at the rear of the engine, right where it runs along the bracket for the fuel rail.
Check that harness for worn insulation at the corner of the bracket. Tape up any worn insulation on the wires and put some electrical tape or foam insulating tape on the sharp edge of the bracket. See this post for details.

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73563
 
HI there,
It sounds like you have a communications issue with the car. As if the modules are NOT talking to each other trading off information.
Obtaining accurate codes is the first course of action to accurately diagnose your condition.
Allthebest, :hb
 
Just purchased service manual for the 98 and put a name to the broken part. It is a control arm link.
Poor connections seem to be the usual problem. Makes me wonder if this new age of computer electronics and all those connectors will hold up in the damp weather on the New England coast. Anyone tried using electric grease on the connectors? Again thanks for all the replies to my problem, will be checking progress at the shop today.
 
Wow!!! You broke a control arm link and could still actually drive the car??? That's some serious stuff to be without.
It controls the toe-in on the wheel, and keeps it straight when the control arm moves up and down. It must have been flopping around like a fish every time you took a corner.:crazy
The erratic motion of the wheel would likely show up on the DIC codes as an unstable feedback on the traction control resulting in a code C1227 LR Excessive Wheel Speed Variation.
 
After reading your note I went back to the book to make sure I knew what part I was talking about and I didn't!!! The broken part was in fact a position sensor link to the control arm. Though the suspension was acting weird it wasn't that bad. I don't know how I came up with the control arm link, probably the same reason I'm letting someone else fix it. Love the old vintage 50's where a spring is a spring and a shock is a shock. Thanks Don
 
Oh, that's different. Never mind.
I am assuming you have the selective ride control on yours. That arm provides feedback for the position of the control arm, and tells the shock how much dampening to apply. It's all electric you know?
Good luck at the shop!:w
 

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