Help! Bought a '97 Fairway Green. Now I have some questions

[Phace]

I picked it up from Toledo, OH from Taylor Cadillac on Saturday. I was working with Michael Awad, the salesperson. 1997 Used Chevrolet Corvette at Taylor Cadillac Serving Toledo, OH, IID 7450523

Overall I'm pleased with the car except for these items. If anyone can help me figure these things out, I'd be really happy.

• The A/C is not very good. That's about the only issue I had at first glance. He said it checked out and his service guys didn't find any problems with the car. I had two options at that point: Take it or leave it. Remember, I drove 1100+ miles to get there and was trading in my '03 Odyssey (which had awesome A/C btw). His service department was closed on Saturday. I was hoping it wasn't too bad, but on the drive to FL, it was HOT. That A/C was barely colder than the air around inside the car, and that was with the re-circulation set on, the driver side set to 60 and the passenger set to MAX cold. Now I'm in Florida in the middle of summer with a '97 vette with barely any A/C. That will be my first repair item. There are kits at the local auto store. Anyone have success with this kind of thing? Should I just bring it to someone?

• The driver's side floor mat seems to get bunched up just at the seat. I tried to lay it down and to make sure the hooks that hold it down are set right, but when you sit in a driving position, the mat gets folded in towards those hooks from the seat edge. I wonder how to prevent that.

• Has anyone added better speakers/sound equipment? Where have you mounted new speakers and how did that come out? Specifically, I found the Bose speakers in the doors are not very clear especially on the driver side. The rear speakers (if there are any) sound like they might not be there at all, lol. Maybe just a little bit there, but not much. No subwoofer means no clear bass, and no tweeters anywhere I could find.

• Is there a lot of room behind the factory stereo system? I have an aftermarket Alpine DVD Single Din system with a head unit and a separate component (larger, with a small fan built in) where all the connections are made. FWIW, It's an IVA-D310: Alpine IVA-D310 In-Dash Video Receivers (With Screen) at Onlinecarstereo.com. I would need to find a space for that. I have some options on where to place the component away from the head unit. I can also connect a camera for rear view/parking.

• This car came with the sport seats- extra controls for the lumbar and upper back along with "wings" along the side to hold you side-to-side. It also has memory for the seats. That's cool. The switch cluster holding this to the side of the seat seems to be loose and have a lot of space and movement away from the seat towards the door. Is this normal?

• The passenger seat moves a little bit when the car moves. Is there a fix for this to make it more stable?

• I've found the right side mirror pointed almost straight down after I leave the car and get back in later, which is all after I've adjusted it to see the road behind. Is this a feature? I would like it to return to the normal position when I sit in the car...

• Has anyone mounted a GPS (Garmin)? Where did you mount it and how did you get power to it? If you have any pics of this, I'd love to see them...

• The back brake lights are recessed about 3/4 on an inch and dust and dirt accumulate in the recessed lip between the back of the bumper and the light itself. Has anyone found aftermarket plug-and-play lights that mount flush with the back bumper, possibly preventing this?

• The DRL/front signal lights on the '97's are no where near as bright as some later model vettes and I'm a fan of bright, high visibility lights. Are those later model lights compatible with the '97's? Where can I get a pair of them?

• I need to find a Fairway Green colored front license plate cover- this one didn't come with the car.

Sorry about all of the questions, but I know you guys really know a lot about these things and I'm so very new to the corvette scene.

 

[Toms007]

First off, congrats on the purchase. Is this the one with black interior?

Now to try and address some of your problems......I think that I would let an
AC specialist look at the AC, although it might be something other than Freon.

My mats don't "creep" like that. What kind of backing is on the mats? Mine have a black rubber backing which "sticks" to the carpeting.

My Bose sounds system sounds pretty good, I don't know what to tell you about your system. Many here have installed aftermarket head units, one of them will hopefully jump in here to help.

The play in the control on the door control isn't normal, sounds like there might be a clip broken or something.

The passenger seat sounds like it has the rocking seat syndrome. There is a fix, but I have not done it to mine, so I can't really comment on the fix.

Mirrors are part of the memory package, have you reset the memory features?

I run with a Garmin in my car, no real good place to put it. I just use the suction cup and put it high on the windshield next to the rear view mirror on the passenger side and the cable hangs down (the part I don't like). I've seen some guys have bought one of those vent mounts and hook it up in the middle vents. Should make your Garmin cool (if the AC works....sorry).

The dust on the taillight recesses is one of those things that I just live with. There are flush mount kits if you want to go that route. I haven't heard of any aftermarket lights that mount flush, I'm sure there are some, I just have not run across them yet.

If you are talking about the turn signals/DRLs there are replacement bulbs which are brighter and there are LEDs which run brighter/cooler/draw less power, but if you use them you need to put in a "hyper flash harness" to keep them from hyper flashing (flashing extremely fast). As they draw so little current. If you are talking about the headlights in general, I swapped my low beam halogens for HID's. Again there are kits available to do this. And this was an easy fix, not necessarily cheap, but fairly easy.

As far as the front license cover goes, you could hope that someone has one out there.....just don't hold your breath as this color, as you know, is pretty hard to come by. Probably just buy one, take it to a Body shop and have it painted. Put it on.

Congrats again, that 1100 mile trip was well worth it. you became very familiar with the car.

 

[Phace]

First off, congrats on the purchase. Is this the one with black interior?

Yes.

My mats don't "creep" like that. What kind of backing is on the mats? Mine have a black rubber backing which "sticks" to the carpeting.

The underside material is dark grey, slightly grippy, but not really sticky. Certainly nothing that is going to really stick itself to the carpet, more of a material that would be hard to slide around.

My Bose sounds system sounds pretty good, I don't know what to tell you about your system. Many here have installed aftermarket head units, one of them will hopefully jump in here to help.

I have always replaced the "stock" speakers in all of my cars and I thought the Bose name meant these would be high-fidelity, but I just don't hear it. It seems like the only location for sound is from the speakers in the doors. There's just no way for the high-end frequencies to travel well from behind/beside my legs, you know? It's just not that good IMHO.

Mirrors are part of the memory package, have you reset the memory features?

I set the seat and mirrors, then I pushed and held both Memory 1 until it flashed and then did the same with Memory 2. This issue with the right side mirror persists.

I run with a Garmin in my car, no real good place to put it. I just use the suction cup and put it high on the windshield next to the rear view mirror on the passenger side and the cable hangs down (the part I don't like). I've seen some guys have bought one of those vent mounts and hook it up in the middle vents. Should make your Garmin cool (if the AC works....sorry).

There's power at the rear-view mirror- there are lights there. I wonder if there's a way to tap that somehow and.. do something.

If you are talking about the turn signals/DRLs there are replacement bulbs which are brighter and there are LEDs which run brighter/cooler/draw less power, but if you use them you need to put in a "hyper flash harness" to keep them from hyper flashing (flashing extremely fast). As they draw so little current. If you are talking about the headlights in general, I swapped my low beam halogens for HID's. Again there are kits available to do this. And this was an easy fix, not necessarily cheap, but fairly easy.

Maybe just the lights from the newer vettes which are much brighter... They are the yellow lights in the front (turn signals, drl). Are they plug and play compatible with the old ones? (Size, shape, plugs?)

Congrats again, that 1100 mile trip was well worth it. you became very familiar with the car.

Yes. I learned a lot, and this post is a direct result of that long trip

 

[Toms007]

Yes.



The underside material is dark grey, slightly grippy, but not really sticky. Certainly nothing that is going to really stick itself to the carpet, more of a material that would be hard to slide around.

Maybe some industrial Velcro on the back of the mat?

I have always replaced the "stock" speakers in all of my cars and I thought the Bose name meant these would be high-fidelity, but I just don't hear it. It seems like the only location for sound is from the speakers in the doors. There's just no way for the high-end frequencies to travel well from behind/beside my legs, you know? It's just not that good IMHO.

Lots of people replace the Bose system, mine happens to be working fine. Bose does strange things, making swapping the speakers out a little challenging. Use a lower (or higher, I Don't Remember) ohm speaker and wiring. Anyway it's not a straight swap.

I set the seat and mirrors, then I pushed and held both Memory 1 until it flashed and then did the same with Memory 2. This issue with the right side mirror persists.

Hummmm, not sure what to say there

There's power at the rear-view mirror- there are lights there. I wonder if there's a way to tap that somehow and.. do something.

I have my Escort Radar detector hooked up to the power in the mirror, so I don't see any reason you couldn't pull power off there for the Garmin.

Maybe just the lights from the newer vettes which are much brighter... They are the yellow lights in the front (turn signals, drl). Are they plug and play compatible with the old ones? (Size, shape, plugs?)

More or less PnP.

Yes. I learned a lot, and this post is a direct result of that long trip

 

[timfitz63]

I picked it up from Toledo, OH from Taylor Cadillac on Saturday...

Congratulations! Glad you found one that worked for you! As chance would have it, I was viewing a rare-colored '98 coupe outside of Cincinnati on Saturday, which I've now committed to purchase. Still working through the logistics of that purchase, but it's effectively a done deal. So I don't feel too slighted that you bypassed Lexington in your rush to get your new baby back to Florida...

The A/C is not very good. That's about the only issue I had at first glance. He said it checked out and his service guys didn't find any problems with the car. I had two options at that point: Take it or leave it. Remember, I drove 1100+ miles to get there and was trading in my '03 Odyssey (which had awesome A/C btw). His service department was closed on Saturday. I was hoping it wasn't too bad, but on the drive to FL, it was HOT. That A/C was barely colder than the air around inside the car, and that was with the re-circulation set on, the driver side set to 60 and the passenger set to MAX cold. Now I'm in Florida in the middle of summer with a '97 vette with barely any A/C. That will be my first repair item. There are kits at the local auto store. Anyone have success with this kind of thing? Should I just bring it to someone?

Kind-of noticed the same thing with the '98 coupe I'm buying: A/C is a bit weak, especially in comparison to my '04. The vehicle has very few miles on it (< 10k), and has mostly sat in a private collection for the bulk of it's existence. I'm guessing the seals in the A/C system are leaky from lack of use, and it will need refrigerant.

Would be curious to know what you find out with yours, in case I've got to dig deeper. Personally, I'm planning to take mine in for a host of preventative service (fluids check, oil change, and A/C servicing), and am somewhat inclined to use a Chevy dealer to perform the service. We'll see...

The driver's side floor mat seems to get bunched up just at the seat. I tried to lay it down and to make sure the hooks that hold it down are set right, but when you sit in a driving position, the mat gets folded in towards those hooks from the seat edge. I wonder how to prevent that.

In reviewing the photos on the dealer's site, the floor mats do not appear to be OEM mats; this may account for their tendency to "bunch up." The OEM floor mats are pretty thick and heavy, lay flat, have a bunch of rubber 'nubs' on the bottom to keep it in place when installed, and did not have a C5 logo imprinted or embroidered (can't tell which it is from the dealer photos) onto it.

Suggest you just pick up a pair of OEM mats, which should solve your problem.

Has anyone added better speakers/sound equipment? Where have you mounted new speakers and how did that come out? Specifically, I found the Bose speakers in the doors are not very clear especially on the driver side. The rear speakers (if there are any) sound like they might not be there at all, lol. Maybe just a little bit there, but not much. No subwoofer means no clear bass, and no tweeters anywhere I could find.

The Bose system sounds pretty good in my '04, and this '98 sounded about the same to me. But I caveat that comment with the acknowledgement that I'm evaluating/comparing the systems with the vehicle at rest (i.e., no road noise). These cars (especially depending on the tires) tend to really transfer a lot of road noise into the cabin, which tends to negate how well the system sounds (at least to me). For those reasons, I've never been a proponent of spending high dollars on vehicle audio systems; it's just all lost when the wheels start turning...

On the "check the obvious" side of the ledger, have you made sure the audio controls in the radio head aren't set differently to your tastes (i.e., treble and/or bass turned way down; auto tone set for country when you're listening to rock)...? And that the rear speakers haven't been turned down via the "fade" adjustment knob...?

I need to find a Fairway Green colored front license plate cover- this one didn't come with the car.

Fortunately for me, the body-colored one is present with this '98; unfortunately, it's not currently installed, and I really couldn't make a detailed examination of the front receptacle because of a decorative plate that's currently installed. Was wondering if there was any particular trick to securing these front license plate inserts (screws, etc.) that I need to use? I don't want it to jiggle back out and lose it!

 

[Phace]

Kind-of noticed the same thing with the '98 coupe I'm buying: A/C is a bit weak, especially in comparison to my '04. The vehicle has very few miles on it (< 10k), and has mostly sat in a private collection for the bulk of it's existence. I'm guessing the seals in the A/C system are leaky from lack of use, and it will need refrigerant.

Would be curious to know what you find out with yours, in case I've got to dig deeper. Personally, I'm planning to take mine in for a host of preventative service (fluids check, oil change, and A/C servicing), and am somewhat inclined to use a Chevy dealer to perform the service. We'll see...

I brought it in to David Maus Chevrolet in Sanford FL. I mention their name because although evidently they did what I asked for eventually, they took their sweet time with it while I was waiting and charged me a fair amount more than what I thought was reasonable, plus they told me the A/C leaked from the bottom of the compressor body. Replacing it requires moving the water tank, replacing all of the o-rings for the things that have to be moved, etc. The price would be a figure they said between $1100 and $1200. I asked them if they could just recharge it. I also flat out told them I would not go to the dealer to have that kind of work done. Frankly I hope they made all of that up just to make money and didn't really troubleshoot the issue. No matter what, there's A/C places here and I'd trust one of them more than this dealer.

The battery was dead by the second day with the car. I had to jump start the car to get to work and then again at lunch time to get to the local dealer. They took two hours to get to work on the car (the corvette guy went to lunch at first, and there were two cars ahead of me for oil changes), and to finally tell me the battery had a short in a cell. They couldn't get me a gel-cell the same day, and it would have cost over $240 for it; I just had them replace it with a lead-acid OEM battery. They said the leaking batteries were only a problem initially and they fixed that problem a long time ago with these batteries. I apparently purchased a 7 year AC Delco with 50 month free replacement, the remainder is pro-rated. I've never seen a battery last over 3 years here in Florida, so I'll likely be taking them up on the free battery replacement offer in three years. I say apparently because I still haven't actually looked at it yet.

I printed a 10% off coupon I found for them online, and presented it to them when I brought the car in immediately. Good thing too because they forgot to take it into account when they presented me the $340+ bill. Then I started looking down the list of items they were charging me for. $125 for the battery, $25 for labor, $89.99 A/C service, 2 lbs refrigerant @$17/lb, Shop supplies @$20+, and tax. I argued and told the lady hey, I just asked for a battery and a recharge for the A/C and you're tying to charge me well over $300??? ad

She took off the shop fees and the coupon and I got out of there for about $260, plus the knowledge of how they do business.

At least the air works now and the car starts.

In reviewing the photos on the dealer's site, the floor mats do not appear to be OEM mats; this may account for their tendency to "bunch up." The OEM floor mats are pretty thick and heavy, lay flat, have a bunch of rubber 'nubs' on the bottom to keep it in place when installed, and did not have a C5 logo imprinted or embroidered (can't tell which it is from the dealer photos) onto it.

Suggest you just pick up a pair of OEM mats, which should solve your problem.

I like the ones I have. Someone suggested heavy duty velcro. I'll try that first.

On the "check the obvious" side of the ledger, have you made sure the audio controls in the radio head aren't set differently to your tastes (i.e., treble and/or bass turned way down; auto tone set for country when you're listening to rock)...? And that the rear speakers haven't been turned down via the "fade" adjustment knob...?

I had 1100+ miles to tinker with it. Yes, I tried that.

Fortunately for me, the body-colored one is present with this '98; unfortunately, it's not currently installed, and I really couldn't make a detailed examination of the front receptacle because of a decorative plate that's currently installed. Was wondering if there was any particular trick to securing these front license plate inserts (screws, etc.) that I need to use? I don't want it to jiggle back out and lose it!

Congrats! I'm trying not to think of how jealous I could be if I were to think about it. What is the mileage? Cincinnati was a full 2.5 to 3 hours closer than Toledo, and I had to drive through it to get to Toledo.

 

[timfitz63]

... Was wondering if there was any particular trick to securing these front license plate inserts (screws, etc.) that I need to use? I don't want it to jiggle back out and lose it!

Looks like I was able to find an answer to my own question. Not sure how one gets a screwdriver inside that gap between the insert and the receptacle, but ostensibly that's how it's done; hopefully it will become apparent as I try...

I brought it in to David Maus Chevrolet in Sanford FL. I mention their name because although evidently they did what I asked for eventually, they took their sweet time with it while I was waiting and charged me a fair amount more than what I thought was reasonable, plus they told me the A/C leaked from the bottom of the compressor body. Replacing it requires moving the water tank, replacing all of the o-rings for the things that have to be moved, etc. The price would be a figure they said between $1100 and $1200. I asked them if they could just recharge it. I also flat out told them I would not go to the dealer to have that kind of work done. Frankly I hope they made all of that up just to make money and didn't really troubleshoot the issue. No matter what, there's A/C places here and I'd trust one of them more than this dealer.

The battery was dead by the second day with the car. I had to jump start the car to get to work and then again at lunch time to get to the local dealer. They took two hours to get to work on the car (the corvette guy went to lunch at first, and there were two cars ahead of me for oil changes), and to finally tell me the battery had a short in a cell. They couldn't get me a gel-cell the same day, and it would have cost over $240 for it; I just had them replace it with a lead-acid OEM battery. They said the leaking batteries were only a problem initially and they fixed that problem a long time ago with these batteries. I apparently purchased a 7 year AC Delco with 50 month free replacement, the remainder is pro-rated. I've never seen a battery last over 3 years here in Florida, so I'll likely be taking them up on the free battery replacement offer in three years. I say apparently because I still haven't actually looked at it yet.

I printed a 10% off coupon I found for them online, and presented it to them when I brought the car in immediately. Good thing too because they forgot to take it into account when they presented me the $340+ bill. Then I started looking down the list of items they were charging me for. $125 for the battery, $25 for labor, $89.99 A/C service, 2 lbs refrigerant @$17/lb, Shop supplies @$20+, and tax. I argued and told the lady hey, I just asked for a battery and a recharge for the A/C and you're tying to charge me well over $300??? ad

She took off the shop fees and the coupon and I got out of there for about $260, plus the knowledge of how they do business...

Yeah, they don't call them 'stealerships' for no reason at all...

Now that you mention it, the last time I had a vehicle in to a GM dealer was to replace the water pump on my '97 GMC Jimmy; I don't recall the exact amount for the bill, but it was downright outrageous. When I lodged a complaint with the service manager, he kind-of shrugged his shoulders and told me GM corporate sets the prices; I told him they were pricing themselves out of the market, and haven't had any vehicle back to a GM dealership for service since. About a year later, they (GM) were declaring bankruptcy and asking for federal funds... Gee, I wonder why...? :eyerole

... Congrats! I'm trying not to think of how jealous I could be if I were to think about it. What is the mileage? Cincinnati was a full 2.5 to 3 hours closer than Toledo, and I had to drive through it to get to Toledo.

Well, from Lexington to Cincinnati is around 100 miles...

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit: I lucked out on this one... But to make you feel better (sort of) about having to drive an extra 3 hours to Toledo, the car isn't Fairway Green; it's Aztec Gold Metallic...

 

[Phace]

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit: I lucked out on this one... But to make you feel better (sort of) about having to drive an extra 3 hours to Toledo, the car isn't Fairway Green; it's Aztec Gold Metallic...

Good going! Of course, that means I would never have bought it! I went out of my way to get the green one.

 

[timfitz63]

Good going...!

Thanks! I've been keeping an eye peeled for one of these for about 7 years now... Briefly flirted with buying one of the other coupes that had come on the market back in 2005, but the owners at the time kept vacillating about whether they were selling or not... I mean, they'd gone to the trouble of actually listing it on AutoTrader, but still weren't sure whether they were selling it or keeping it...? Whatever... :eyerole

Actually, four of the other eleven Aztec Gold coupes are on the market right now, if you can believe it; apparently one person owns all four of them. But he's asking waaay too much money for them...

And sadly, the one I really want (Sequence #12 -- the only six-speed/Z51 combination in the bunch) remains at large; the current owner is living in a fantasy with what he wants for that one ($100k)...

... Of course, that means I would never have bought it! I went out of my way to get the green one.

Yeah, I'd say 1,100+ miles is a bit out of your way...

But as long as you're happy, that's what matters... There are a lot of worse ways to spend 1,100 miles than in a C5 Corvette...!

 

[Toms007]

Well, I am glad that you are getting things fixed. Damn dealerships, they are legally holding people up.....I just refuse to go to one......period. Every time I think I'll give them another try, they try to bend me over. Sorry you aren't raping me.:eyerole

 

[Phace]

Well, Now, another problem... P0441 (plus check engine light)

Yesterday, on my way home, the Check Engine light came on. I checked the Codes and the only one I saw with a "C" was P0441 (also had a H as well). I worked it out to the EVAP not doing a purge when requested. I cleaned my gas cap and ran the car a few times but it wouldn't go away. I noticed something in the engine: a small tube was loose and at about the end there was a hole in the intake, so I plugged it into the hole. I've run the car a few more times but the light won't go off and the code is still there.

I also checked the fuse (a 10 amp fuse) and it was fine. Any Ideas? Do you think it is possible that the dealership had something to do with this?

 

[timfitz63]

Yesterday, on my way home, the Check Engine light came on. I checked the Codes and the only one I saw with a "C" was P0441 (also had a H as well). I worked it out to the EVAP not doing a purge when requested. I cleaned my gas cap and ran the car a few times but it wouldn't go away. I noticed something in the engine: a small tube was loose and at about the end there was a hole in the intake, so I plugged it into the hole. I've run the car a few more times but the light won't go off and the code is still there.

I also checked the fuse (a 10 amp fuse) and it was fine. Any Ideas? Do you think it is possible that the dealership had something to do with this?

Well, I'm not going to be a lot of help in actually diagnosing the problem, but I'm sure someone will come along soon with a suggestion or two. You're on the right track by posting the codes, which is always the first thing the gurus ask for...

If I'm not mistaken, "C" is current and "H" indicates historical. If you're getting both, it's conceivable (especially given their attitude about other things, like the A/C) that the dealer in Toledo cleared that exact code so there wouldn't be a check engine light staring back at a prospective buyer. At least it wouldn't surprise me in the least... :eyerole I don't think they caused the problem, per se; but perhaps they covered it up...

So it could very well be an intermittent thing, although the root cause is yet a mystery. But you can clear the code (and I presume the check engine light too), then see if it returns; follow the relevant steps in this thread about pulling the codes. Sometimes it just requires some driving time without the fault before the CEL clears (although if it's showing "current," it may be a hard failure of some kind).

Regarding the loose tube; not sure there and I'm not near mine to really compare it. I'd be a bit reluctant to leave it modified the way you've done, certainly before knowing more about the functions of the intake hole and the tube itself, simply because it just doesn't look "natural" the way you've got it routed to the hole in the intake.

 

[chuck]

Thanks! I've been keeping an eye peeled for one of these for about 7 years now... Briefly flirted with buying one of the other coupes that had come on the market back in 2005, but the owners at the time kept vacillating about whether they were selling or not... I mean, they'd gone to the trouble of actually listing it on AutoTrader, but still weren't sure whether they were selling it or keeping it...? Whatever... :eyerole

Actually, four of the other eleven Aztec Gold coupes are on the market right now, if you can believe it; apparently one person owns all four of them. But he's asking waaay too much money for them...

And sadly, the one I really want (Sequence #12 -- the only six-speed/Z51 combination in the bunch) remains at large; the current owner is living in a fantasy with what he wants for that one ($100k)...



Yeah, I'd say 1,100+ miles is a bit out of your way...

But as long as you're happy, that's what matters... There are a lot of worse ways to spend 1,100 miles than in a C5 Corvette...!

Two Aztec Golds sold at McDormans for what I thought was a steal. The vert went for $29000 and the coupe went for $26000. Wish I had the money I would love to have one.
Mecum sells McDorman Collection for $7M | Old Cars Weekly

 

[Phace]

Regarding the loose tube; not sure there and I'm not near mine to really compare it. I'd be a bit reluctant to leave it modified the way you've done, certainly before knowing more about the functions of the intake hole and the tube itself, simply because it just doesn't look "natural" the way you've got it routed to the hole in the intake.

Well, if I understand this correctly, the EVAP system keeps Gas fumes sequestered in a vacuum setup and at some point it sends it into the Intake manifold so that the gas fumes are burnt up during combustion instead of being leaked into the atmosphere. This tube (and the hole) could be the pathway the purge gasses make their way into the intake manifold.

I know one thing- it fits perfectly, it does look natural with it connected and unnatural with it hanging, and it's got a small lip at the end that catches the inside of the hole and prevents it from easily sliding out, and that hole is actually in the side of the manifold. The other end of the tube makes its way to under the "Corvette" plastic cover to a valve of some sort. Maybe the tube is blocked? It can't be good to have it hanging exposed where it was.

The light has not come off even after reconnecting this, and according to what I read, it will go off after 3 ignition sequences without the fault. It comes on after two sequential ignition sequences where the fault is detected. When I ran the codes the night before I went to the dealer, there weren't any "C" codes.

 

[Phace]

I found a photo the dealer sent me pre-sale. That tube was hanging already. It wasn't the the local dealer and it likely wasn't the Cadillac dealer- they sent me pics of it.

 

[timfitz63]

Two Aztec Golds sold at McDormans for what I thought was a steal. The vert went for $29000 and the coupe went for $26000. Wish I had the money I would love to have one.
Mecum sells McDorman Collection for $7M | Old Cars Weekly

The one I'm buying is the McDorman coupe.

The guy who purchased it actually did so without realizing exactly what he was buying; he and his wife were actually looking for a 'driver' to enjoy while putting miles on it; they liked the color and thought the price was good. When their son-in-law pointed out to them that they'd bought one of the Holy Grails of C5 rarities, they decided to buy something more suitable to their plans and sell their Aztec Gold coupe. Their son-in-law did some 'googling;' found this post I'd made just before the auction; noticed the comment I'd made about purchasing the cars, if anyone decided to sell one of them; and contacted me to offer me the car...

Well, if I understand this correctly, the EVAP system keeps Gas fumes sequestered in a vacuum setup and at some point it sends it into the Intake manifold so that the gas fumes are burnt up during combustion instead of being leaked into the atmosphere. This tube (and the hole) could be the pathway the purge gasses make their way into the intake manifold.

I know one thing- it fits perfectly, it does look natural with it connected and unnatural with it hanging, and it's got a small lip at the end that catches the inside of the hole and prevents it from easily sliding out, and that hole is actually in the side of the manifold. The other end of the tube makes its way to under the "Corvette" plastic cover to a valve of some sort. Maybe the tube is blocked? It can't be good to have it hanging exposed where it was.

The light has not come off even after reconnecting this, and according to what I read, it will go off after 3 ignition sequences without the fault. It comes on after two sequential ignition sequences where the fault is detected. When I ran the codes the night before I went to the dealer, there weren't any "C" codes.

Well, you could be correct. Like I said, I can't check mine at the moment, and have never actually noticed that tube on mine. But the '04 might have a slight variation in plumbing from a '97 too...? Will try to remember to check the '98 this weekend when I pick it up.

 

[Junkman2008]

I picked it up from Toledo, OH from Taylor Cadillac on Saturday. I was working with Michael Awad, the salesperson. 1997 Used Chevrolet Corvette at Taylor Cadillac Serving Toledo, OH, IID 7450523

Overall I'm pleased with the car except for these items. If anyone can help me figure these things out, I'd be really happy.

• The A/C is not very good. That's about the only issue I had at first glance. He said it checked out and his service guys didn't find any problems with the car. I had two options at that point: Take it or leave it. Remember, I drove 1100+ miles to get there and was trading in my '03 Odyssey (which had awesome A/C btw). His service department was closed on Saturday. I was hoping it wasn't too bad, but on the drive to FL, it was HOT. That A/C was barely colder than the air around inside the car, and that was with the re-circulation set on, the driver side set to 60 and the passenger set to MAX cold. Now I'm in Florida in the middle of summer with a '97 vette with barely any A/C. That will be my first repair item. There are kits at the local auto store. Anyone have success with this kind of thing? Should I just bring it to someone?

This is what you want to do with your AC problem. Take the car someplace where they can do a evacuation and recovery. This will do 2 important things for you. One, they will be able to tell you exactly how much R-134a is in your system. Having too much or too little R-134a in your system will cause things to work incorrectly. A R-134a system is nothing like the old freon based system and measurements are critical.

This process can also tell you a few other things, and the technician (if properly trained) will be alerted if some of the following conditions exist. Because of the technical nature of the following, you do not want to try the "shade tree mechanic's" way of trouble shooting these possibilities by just shooting a can of refrigerant into the system.

• As I stated above, the A/C system may be overcharged or undercharged with refrigerant. The A/C system charge weight can be measured with the ACR 2000 (evac and recovery machine), after a refrigerant recovery is done.
• The A/C system may have an improper amount or incorrect type of refrigerant oil. Only GM approved refrigerant oils should be used.
• The vehicle's refrigerant may be contaminated or contain an excessive amount of air. The refrigerant identifier on the ACR 2000 should alert the technician to these conditions.
• The orifice tube or thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) may be restricted, plugged or inoperative.
• The capillary bulb on the TXV must be properly positioned so that the valve will provide proper refrigerant flow.
• The desiccant bag in the accumulator may have failed, allowing debris to circulate in the A/C system.
• One thing that you can check are the diagnostic trouble codes in all the control modules on the vehicle. Some trouble codes will disable compressor operation after they have set. They must be repaired and cleared before compressor operation is allowed.
• The compressor cycling switch may not be operating correctly. This may allow the evaporator core to freeze up or the compressor may not stay engaged long enough for proper system pressures to develop.
• Inspect for missing or mispositioned air deflectors, baffles, seals and shrouds.
• The air flow through the condenser may be insufficient.
• The air flow through the condenser may be insufficient.

If I were a betting man, I would say that your refrigerant level is wrong. The amount that you should have varies with certain years so knowing how much refrigerant is in your system is critical. If it is low, that means that you have a leak as the system is sealed. That is something that will definitely need to be addressed and when they refill the system, they should insert some green dye which will help locate the leak. I had my compressor go bad and replaced it along with the orifice and accumulator. If you turn the screws on your ride, here's the write-up that I did. It was not a fun time but I knocked it out.

• The driver's side floor mat seems to get bunched up just at the seat. I tried to lay it down and to make sure the hooks that hold it down are set right, but when you sit in a driving position, the mat gets folded in towards those hooks from the seat edge. I wonder how to prevent that.

Get some new mats. Easy fix.

• Has anyone added better speakers/sound equipment? Where have you mounted new speakers and how did that come out? Specifically, I found the Bose speakers in the doors are not very clear especially on the driver side. The rear speakers (if there are any) sound like they might not be there at all, lol. Maybe just a little bit there, but not much. No subwoofer means no clear bass, and no tweeters anywhere I could find.

There are systems out now that change everything with the Bose system EXCEPT the head unit. It also comes with a sub that sits in the deep well in the back of the car. Thus, everything looks stock but the sound is super sweet. Cost is around $3000 for that setup.

• Is there a lot of room behind the factory stereo system? I have an aftermarket Alpine DVD Single Din system with a head unit and a separate component (larger, with a small fan built in) where all the connections are made. FWIW, It's an IVA-D310: Alpine IVA-D310 In-Dash Video Receivers (With Screen) at Onlinecarstereo.com. I would need to find a space for that. I have some options on where to place the component away from the head unit. I can also connect a camera for rear view/parking.

There is quite a bit of room back there. Here's a picture that will give you an idea.

• This car came with the sport seats- extra controls for the lumbar and upper back along with "wings" along the side to hold you side-to-side. It also has memory for the seats. That's cool. The switch cluster holding this to the side of the seat seems to be loose and have a lot of space and movement away from the seat towards the door. Is this normal?

No, that is not normal. The bezel that holds the seat controls to the seat has a spring loaded post that is broken on your seat. the bezel needs to be replaced now. Here's a picture where I talk about that post. My glue job did not hold so I had to buy a new bezel. It was about $23. You also need new foam for your seat as the foam in your seat has been crushed and ripped. Check out this thread for more details on how to fix your problem.

• The passenger seat moves a little bit when the car moves. Is there a fix for this to make it more stable?

Yes. Put on your reading glasses. Here's the fix for that.

• I've found the right side mirror pointed almost straight down after I leave the car and get back in later, which is all after I've adjusted it to see the road behind. Is this a feature? I would like it to return to the normal position when I sit in the car...

This is associated with the memory settings that you have programmed. On the back of your fob is a number. You need to program the same number position in the car that corressponds to the number on your fob. When you use that fob, the same numbered position settings will align. All of this is in your owner's manual.

• Has anyone mounted a GPS (Garmin)? Where did you mount it and how did you get power to it? If you have any pics of this, I'd love to see them...

Lots of folks have installed double-din radios with GPS in their vehicles. You will find all kinds of information about this in the audio sections of quite a few Corvette forums.

• The back brake lights are recessed about 3/4 on an inch and dust and dirt accumulate in the recessed lip between the back of the bumper and the light itself. Has anyone found aftermarket plug-and-play lights that mount flush with the back bumper, possibly preventing this?

There are products out there like the tail light seals but don't bother buying anything. Nothing worked perfect and everything was way overpriced.

• The DRL/front signal lights on the '97's are no where near as bright as some later model vettes and I'm a fan of bright, high visibility lights. Are those later model lights compatible with the '97's? Where can I get a pair of them?

Most folks have went with HID's as a aftermarket solution. You can also put HID's in the fog lights (which is the only place on the C5 that they are legal unless you get HID enclosures). Some folks have changed the DRL's to LED's, which are much brighter also. Cost is around $100 per set of lights for HID's, unless you go with light cannons. Mine were $1200, but I have more light output that a freakin' airplane.

• I need to find a Fairway Green colored front license plate cover- this one didn't come with the car.

Sorry about all of the questions, but I know you guys really know a lot about these things and I'm so very new to the corvette scene.

You can try any of the major Corvette parts stores like Mid America and PFYC. They will have the plate but you may have to have it painted.

Now, you have a lot of reading and searching to do. All of the questions that you are asking about can easily be found on these forums. That's how I found out about all this stuff. I started reading and never stopped. Every day, I try and learn something new. If you plan on keeping your car for any amount of time, you will find out that reading these forums daily will save you TONS of money.

 

[GULFTANGO]

I own a 97 fairway green for over 15 years

1. A/C: Had the same problems. Doing the fuse thing works to get the driver side to work. I also found that leaving the air on manual rather than auto, setting it a 60 and controlling comfort using the fan works all the time except when battery is disconected, then the fuse thing. I also live in Florida.

2. I buy new floor mats yearly and never had the problem. Order Corvette parts catalogs (all of them). Have a good set of mats for shows and stuff, and buy the cheap black set for everyday also get the cheap cargo mat for the back cheaper than replacing carpet or the sun shade.:

3. The bose stereo is awesome works amazingly well with top on or off. It sounds like some switched out your system and then replace it half assed to sell it.

4. Seats: There is a kit through "Corvette America" that sells for $25 ea. You need one for both sides. when seats are out retighten or replace everything. I had that done when I had the interior replaced and all parts were replaced that needed it.

5. Dirt and dust: Get a car cover. The one I swear by in Florida is from (Mid America) it is call "Silvertech Fabric). This is lightweight has vents that help keep the cover on in Severe Thunderstorms. car stays dry, interior stays cool. Get a
"California Car Duster" Great brush for removing dusr everwhere. My favorte polish is Turtle Wax. The "ice" they just came out with is scary good and easy to apply.

I am in Key largo and feel free to email me about anything corvette. By the way Echler's corvette supply is located in Titusville Fl. Make the drive with a list of suff you want and talk to them. They hav a Vette show once a year.

I picked it up from Toledo, OH from Taylor Cadillac on Saturday. I was working with Michael Awad, the salesperson. 1997 Used Chevrolet Corvette at Taylor Cadillac Serving Toledo, OH, IID 7450523

Overall I'm pleased with the car except for these items. If anyone can help me figure these things out, I'd be really happy.

• The A/C is not very good. That's about the only issue I had at first glance. He said it checked out and his service guys didn't find any problems with the car. I had two options at that point: Take it or leave it. Remember, I drove 1100+ miles to get there and was trading in my '03 Odyssey (which had awesome A/C btw). His service department was closed on Saturday. I was hoping it wasn't too bad, but on the drive to FL, it was HOT. That A/C was barely colder than the air around inside the car, and that was with the re-circulation set on, the driver side set to 60 and the passenger set to MAX cold. Now I'm in Florida in the middle of summer with a '97 vette with barely any A/C. That will be my first repair item. There are kits at the local auto store. Anyone have success with this kind of thing? Should I just bring it to someone?

• The driver's side floor mat seems to get bunched up just at the seat. I tried to lay it down and to make sure the hooks that hold it down are set right, but when you sit in a driving position, the mat gets folded in towards those hooks from the seat edge. I wonder how to prevent that.

• Has anyone added better speakers/sound equipment? Where have you mounted new speakers and how did that come out? Specifically, I found the Bose speakers in the doors are not very clear especially on the driver side. The rear speakers (if there are any) sound like they might not be there at all, lol. Maybe just a little bit there, but not much. No subwoofer means no clear bass, and no tweeters anywhere I could find.

• Is there a lot of room behind the factory stereo system? I have an aftermarket Alpine DVD Single Din system with a head unit and a separate component (larger, with a small fan built in) where all the connections are made. FWIW, It's an IVA-D310: Alpine IVA-D310 In-Dash Video Receivers (With Screen) at Onlinecarstereo.com. I would need to find a space for that. I have some options on where to place the component away from the head unit. I can also connect a camera for rear view/parking.

• This car came with the sport seats- extra controls for the lumbar and upper back along with "wings" along the side to hold you side-to-side. It also has memory for the seats. That's cool. The switch cluster holding this to the side of the seat seems to be loose and have a lot of space and movement away from the seat towards the door. Is this normal?

• The passenger seat moves a little bit when the car moves. Is there a fix for this to make it more stable?

• I've found the right side mirror pointed almost straight down after I leave the car and get back in later, which is all after I've adjusted it to see the road behind. Is this a feature? I would like it to return to the normal position when I sit in the car...

• Has anyone mounted a GPS (Garmin)? Where did you mount it and how did you get power to it? If you have any pics of this, I'd love to see them...

• The back brake lights are recessed about 3/4 on an inch and dust and dirt accumulate in the recessed lip between the back of the bumper and the light itself. Has anyone found aftermarket plug-and-play lights that mount flush with the back bumper, possibly preventing this?

• The DRL/front signal lights on the '97's are no where near as bright as some later model vettes and I'm a fan of bright, high visibility lights. Are those later model lights compatible with the '97's? Where can I get a pair of them?

• I need to find a Fairway Green colored front license plate cover- this one didn't come with the car.

Sorry about all of the questions, but I know you guys really know a lot about these things and I'm so very new to the corvette scene.

 

[GULFTANGO]

Forgot email address + photos

gulftango@aol.com

 

[XLR8]

Let's take a closer look:

SWEET!!!
Very nice!

How 'bout pix of the hood and those hashmarks!
Jane Ann