HELP! Reduced Power, Service EVERYTHING, Fog Lamp relays buzzing

[Rain]

ok - excuse me if I miss details, type poorly, or ramble.
I am on the road, having Corvette problems, trying to get to Indiana for a week of training in preperation of a business I have invested a large sum of money into, and just as the Vette started acting up, I learned my Grandfather fell dead today in his hallway at home.
Thank you for understanding the stress and confusion I am under.

STORY:

Vette has been running fine. No hesitation on crank up. Battery is factory Delco from the fall of 1999 on a 2000 model year C5 coupe.

I drove it a half hour today, jacked it up to install my rocker rails and frame savers from A&A Corvette, then drove it 2 hours north.
Stopped for dinner.(15minutes top)
Returned to the car, opened it with the FOB, and it would not crank.
Key and steering wheel turned fine - (no column lock)
DIC would not come up.
Engine would not turn over.
When I would turn off the key, a constant buzzing from behind the pass side airbag would start.
If I locked or unlocked (attempted) the car via the FOB, the buzzing started again.

Raised the hood and the buzzing was coming from the fuse relays asigned to the fog lamps.
Eventually got that to stop.
Car still would not crank -

Push started car down the hill and it did crank.
BUT, the computer went ape sh!t. Reduced Acceleration & Service EVERYTHING under the sun notices streamed across the DIC.
And of course the car would not rev, even if I floored it.

luckily I was able to get back up the hill. read thru the owners manual which only told me to get it to a dealership.. its 7pm on a sunday at this time and im hours from home and hours from my destination in a city where I can't reach anyone I know locally.
On a whim, i kill the car, it wont recrank.. click click click
So I push start it down the hill again.
This time I have control of the throttle.
But have SERVICE ABS and Service Traction etc still going on.
SO I decided to try driving on to the destination.
A few miles down the road, all the Service warnings go away.

I assume the battery is Dee Eee Aye Dee (dead) and that the alternator is the only thing keeping my car alive.
So I kill the dash, put the needed info on HUD, and no heat or radio for the next 2+hours.. (one time I thought the window was down.. so I pushed the UP end of the window button.. and the headlights went out!) or dimmed a bunch...

no problems, no restrained acceleration, but now that Im here for the night the car is again dead.
When I click lock or unlock on the FOB, the relay/fuse buzzes like hell and the headlamps and marker lamps go really dim.

SO - just put an Optima Yellow Top in from the local parts house here in BFE? Or should I also let them hook up the ODBII and check codes?

Or do I need to print off the code definitions (where ever they are here on the forum) and someone tell me how to pull the codes without the reader..

There IS a Chevy dealership here in Kosciusko, MS but at typical 75$ an hour, Id rather not unless I HAVE to. This small town probably does not have a single Corvette expert and few grease monkeys that I would trust touching my car.

Please tell me I just need a battery and all will be fine..

Im already trying to figure out how to send Susan to Indiana alone for the week of training so I can drive another few hours to attend the funeral and be there for my family.

Thanks guys
Rain

 

[Hib Halverson]

I'm a little unclear on something---did the problem(s) ocurr before or after you put the Optima battery in the car?

If it's after, I'd recheck the battery cable connections. Remove them, check to make sure they are clean, then reinstall and tighten per the service manual. Let the car sit over night and measure the battery the next day. It should be 12.6v. If it's less than that, get a new battery.

 

[68Roadster]

Rain,
First off, our condolences.....hang in there brother.
Second, have you tried taking off the battery cables, cleaning up a bit and re-attaching to the battery??
I had this happen a few months back on my Chev truck. Everything was fine, got to my destination, hung out a few hrs and went back to the truck and everything was dead. I undid both cables, roughed up the terminals, re-attached and everything was cool. I know it's a shot in the dark but sometimes that all it is.
Let us know how you make out. The local parts house can at least put a meter on the battery and alt. to see if you have 14 volts.

Take care.

Cee

 

[Rain]

HIB
thanks for the reply - I will sleep at some point but have alot of plans to change (also have a truck full of our display stands and other materials being delivered to our coastal office (My dad was going to meet the driver) but now Dad is leaving the coast for the funeral. etc etc etc (needless details.)

Dont have the Optima in yet. STill has factory DELCO sitting dead or near dead.
Wont crank the car.. just click click click and the buzz from the fog lamp relay/fuse thingy.
Alt. read 13.6-14.7 the whole way here tonight.

 

[*89x2*]

My friends C5 made click click noises from a relay when his battery took a dive - a fresh wal - mart battery got him home - I think he may even have it in the C5 still, procrastination - the mother of all evils :ugh

 

[Patrick]

Rain, wow, this is almost a perfect storm of bad news. I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather.

To the Vette, obviously, the computer is going to throw bizarre codes if it isn't getting enough power. Does the Delco battery have some sort of window with a light that tells you if it's charged? For what its worth, my advice would be to get the Optima and connect it up. My suspicision is that this is the culprit, but even if I'm wrong, if you still have the original factory installed battery, it's time to replace it anyway.

Keep us posted, and remember, you aren't in this by yourself. We'll do everything we can.

-Patrick

 

[Tims93]

Rain,

Sorry to hear about you grandfather! Sounds as if Murphy is riding with you.(What can go wrong will go wrong!!)
I agree with the rest, it sound like a battery problem to me. When you disconnect the battery it will probably clear the codes and you will have to drive it for a bit after installing the new battery to see if any codes appear. I'm betting that tomorrow will be a new day and this problem will be in your rear-view mirror! Hang in there man, Tim

 

[Rain]

Thanks guys -

yes, tomorrow things will be a bit clearer - tons to do and rearrange but it will work out.

New battery seems to be the need. The factory delco does have the Magic 8 ball window in its top, but as dark and COLD as it is out there, Im staying inside till the morning.

Ate some dinner and feeling better with all of this.
Had been saving up for an Optima to go in the C5 and I guess its past time
nite all
Rain

 

[Patrick]

Good luck, Rain. A little sleep, a little food, and the world will seem a better place in the morning.

I think getting the new battery will cure the problem. Start with the simple stuff first. Besides, your symptoms sound consistent with a battery problem (been there, done that.)

Like I said before, we're here to help a member in need. Keep us informed if the new battery doesn't solve the problem.

-Patrick

 

[Rain]

bump (just in case we missed something)

 

[94conv.]

any word yet as to if he's up and running today?

 

[Rain]

just got up about 30 min ago - checking mail and then headed to get it checked out -
Will follow up in a bit
Thanks
Rain

 

[94conv.]

with any luck at all, it'll be the battery, sorry about your grandfather

 

[avacorvette]

Sounds like a cat converter clooged (Cheep Gas)
GM will replace for free up to 80k miles
Seen this before on other GM vehicals

 

[Hib Halverson]

HIB


Dont have the Optima in yet. STill has factory DELCO sitting dead or near dead.
Wont crank the car.. just click click click and the buzz from the fog lamp relay/fuse thingy.
Alt. read 13.6-14.7 the whole way here tonight.

Change or charge the battery.

 

[Patrick]

Rain, any updates? Did a new battery solve the problem?

-Patrick

 

[Z28Canuck]

I will leave the car advice to the experts but please accept my condolences on your Grandfather passing away. Been quite a year for you. Please take care and good luck with your vette (Hope it's only the battery) and your business venture.
Regards
Doug

 

[Stosh]

A battery can develope an internal short, it will load the system to the point even when the alternator running the load will be too great to supply normal voltage. I had this happen twice, once on a 76 vette. Stopped to get gas and it wouldn't even click when I went to start the car. I could not even jump start it, I had to disconnect the battery and hook the jumper to the cable. After the car was running the alt will supply power. Just a possability.

Stosh
P.S. sorry about your loss

 

[DanHammer]

My prayers are with your family and loved ones, Rain ... hang in there!!! It does sound like that Delco needs replacement or re-charging. You may also want to check your serpentine belt, because when it starts to slip, especially on high rpms ... the alternator won't charge that battery like it should. It may look like it is still good to the naked eye but this belt actually works both side, and when it starts to slip ... your battery will be affected ... I had this problem with mine, I noticed the voltage on the battery would drop down to 11.2 volts at startup and made my dash lights flicker and head lights would dim ... when I stepped on the brakes ... the headlights and dash panel lights would flicker ... and everything on the DIC would reset. I surely thought I need a new battery, but my mechanic ran some checks on the DIC and put a volt meter on the battery while idling and said that the battery and alternator was good. His suggestion was for me to replace the serpentine belt ... which I did and the problems are gone. I just did this 2 weeks ago and so far ... no problems. Hope this helps out. Just like to share this experience I had recently.

Dan

 

[KANE]

Vette has been running fine. No hesitation on crank up. Battery is factory Delco from the fall of 1999 on a 2000 model year C5 coupe.

I drove it a half hour today, jacked it up to install my rocker rails and frame savers from A&A Corvette, then drove it 2 hours north.
Stopped for dinner.(15minutes top)
Returned to the car, opened it with the FOB, and it would not crank.
Key and steering wheel turned fine - (no column lock)
DIC would not come up.
Engine would not turn over.
When I would turn off the key, a constant buzzing from behind the pass side airbag would start.
If I locked or unlocked (attempted) the car via the FOB, the buzzing started again.

Raised the hood and the buzzing was coming from the fuse relays asigned to the fog lamps.
Eventually got that to stop.
Car still would not crank -

Push started car down the hill and it did crank.
BUT, the computer went ape sh!t. Reduced Acceleration & Service EVERYTHING under the sun notices streamed across the DIC.
And of course the car would not rev, even if I floored it.
Thanks guys
Rain

Did you check the battery terminal? Mine did the EAXCT same things right before it (the terminal) fell off in my hand. Bad batery, a lot of corrosion on the contact.