We have a 2000 Corvette. Everything worked great when we got it in October. In March I noticed the steering wheel didn’t extend as far as it had, when it adjusted to my key settings. Over the next couple weeks, it stopped all together. We also noticed that very occasionally, the driver’s side headlight doesn’t tilt up. When that happens, I’ve taken the key out, turned the light on, then off, and started the car again to solve that problem.
We took it in for its 50K check. The place we take it to does only Corvettes, the owner is very active in the local Corvette club. They don’t have a computer scope.
They did a fine job on everything, but had no clue about the steering wheel or headlight problems and suggested we take it to a dealer. The mechanic felt it was a software problem.
My questions are: Do they sound like computer, electrical, or mechanical problems?
How much is having it fixed going to cost? (The 50K ended up being over $1000 since we needed tires and rear brakes)
Any help, ideas, WAGs or even sassy comments are welcome.
Thanks.
A good answer could score a box of home-made chocolate chip cookies…
It sounds to me like you’d be better off going to a more generalized shop that does do computer diagnosis. All cars made after 1996 are ODB-II compliant and many, many problems can be easily diagnosed with a relatively simple bit of kit. Advanced diagnostic systems can easily pay for themselves in a busy shop. Your Corvette enthusiast is definitely your go-to guy if you have an older 'vette but for 5th and 6th generation cars, you really need someone computer savvy. Many of the systems you mention are computer-controlled to one degree or another and can possibly be diagnosed and adjusted at any shop having a full diagnostic suite, like a Snap-On MT-2500. Getting gouged by the dealer isn’t necessarily a requirement.
sewalk Thanks, I was hoping for something more specific, though. I agree, I’ll need to take it to some place with the proper computer testing equipment.
I’d just like to know if I can do it now, or do I have to wait until I win Lotto.
Well, there can be safety issues with the steering wheel not extending to the optimum position, so that’s something to consider. Also, if you’ve got one electrical problem, it can rapidly turn into multiple problems, and on some GM cars if you have an electrical problem with your ABS brakes, it can prevent your brakes from working properly!
You really need to have it checked out on a 'scope, since you don’t know what’s causing the current problem, and it can escalate into something much worse. At least by having it 'scoped, you can get a good idea of what might be wrong, and based on that, you can decide to have it fixed, or just deal with the problems on your own terms. I don’t know about GM, but many automakers will let you enter information about your car (make/model/year, etc.) to see if there’s a recall notice on your car (which you might not get in the mail until some time later), so if GM knows about the problem and has issued a recall for it, you’ll be able to get it fixed cheaply.
If it does turn out to be an electrical problem (where you need a new wiring harness or something), then expect to pay through the nose. When I had a 1988 Lincoln Continental and the wiring harness started going out, I looked into getting another one, and the guy at the parts counter at the dealership suggested that I get one out a scrap yard, since just the pigtails for under the hood would set me back $300.
If I were going to guess (which is all any of us can do with the scant info provided) I would look toward a bad ground, or resistance in a connector. The key IMHO is the intermittant headlight. A blown fuse, or total disconnection would not give an intermittant operation. A bad ground on the other hand, and get better sometimes, and worse at other times. This can be due to temp, or vibration or phase of the moon. If your shop guy has a wiring diagram for your car, check to see if the headlight circuit and the column share any grounds or power feeds. If they do, do some voltage drop tests and pinpoint the problem.
There does exist the possibility that there are two different problems, but I would check for common isuues first.
Good luck
I’m so glad you dropped by.
If you’re interested, I’ll go into more detail. Approaching it as an electrical problem: Shortly after we got the car, my husband noticed the 12 CD changer in the back had a bad connection. The wire harness hung from the bottom of the changer. With every bump, a little tension was exerted on the wire harness where it exited the changer. When he took the changer out, the shaky connection, separated. We were stuck then. The changer, made by Panasonic, was no longer made or supported. We thought we might be able to rebuild the 12 pin connector, but couldn’t find small enough wire clips. Since the connector was wired directly to the mother board, between layers, we were screwed. No one makes a CD changer that’s compatible with the factory installed stereo, so, short of ripping into the wiring to replace both the changer and the stereo, we decided we were fine with the single CD player, so he just taped up the wire bundle and secured it in place. (don’t ask about the fate of the changer, suffice to say, it went to heaven.)
After that, other things would act strange, intermittently. My key memory didn’t adjust the seat without pushing the memory button, sometimes; the approach lights stayed on for different time intervals, but no dots to connect.
Then the steering wheel didn’t fully extend. You could hear the motor run for a second, but no movement . Hubby thought perhaps, if the extender was on a rail system, a wire or something might be blocking the track. He took the under dash fascia off to take a look, but we couldn’t see any obvious problem, so we buttoned it back up. The steering wheel then, didn’t move at all. You could still hear the motor noise. The next day we took it to our 'Vette guy, but he didn’t want any part of it, He was certain it was a software issue. Since they focus mostly on older 'Vettes, they aren’t comfortable with computer problems.
Oh, the headlight problem happened once prior to taking the dash apart.
The headlight issue may be more complicated than I first thought. It hasn’t happened to me, only my husband, so I haven’t seen exactly what the sequence of events is. Normally, when its dark enough for lights, starting the car and releasing the hand brake turns the lights on. The amber “parking” lights come on as soon as the car is started, anytime. They are the daylight running lights.
When the left headlight doesn’t tilt, something is different with the amber lights, (he can’t explain what) And the heads-up display is dimmer than usual. To get the light to work he turns the car off, removes the key, turns the headlights on manually, then off, then restarts the car. A couple times he’s had to do this more than once before the light tilts properly. Once it does, the HUD is normal again as are the running lights.
As I write this, I realize the problems are gradually mounting, but no preformance issues.
There’s an independent shop near here that has the scope for the C-5, but I’ve talked to the owner twice, and he doesn’t instill confidence. I guess I could take it to a dealer, but I’ve had bad experiences with Chevrolet dealers/ mechanics when I had a haunted Camaro. Of course, that was 1986 and a different state. The 'Vette guy did suggest a dealership that they do business with, That’s probably where we’ll end up. :rolleyes:
I just have bad dreams about redoing the electrical system. Can’t we let it be a software issue? Pleeeease?? Rick, if you manage to puzzle out this problem, I’ll send you a couple dozen of the best home made chocolate chip cookies on the planet (or so I’m told) no matter where you live!
The more you write the more it sounds like either a bad ground or poor connection. The CD changer probably isn’t part of the problem.
If I could find a wiring diagram for your car, I could probably make some suggestions as to exactly where the fault lies.
