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Chevy Corvette Car Repair Questions and Answers

Question: 1997 Corvette Convertible mileage: 104,000. Perhaps one out of twenty starts, starter will not turnover. All gauges light up headlights come up and are bright. I might try four to six times to start the car with no success. On one or two of those tries, I hear a click from the upper right area of the engine near the air compressor. I usually knead at the battery cables and a relay just behind the battery in front of the front door jam, sometimes it will then start. Not sure if it related or just chance. The last time I was taking a battery reading with a fluke across the terminals and my wife was able to start the car, again maybe chance. Is key recognition a possibility? Everything seems to work but the starter. It has eventually started for me so far and I have not moved the car if you’re thinking a bad spot on the armature, although, I guess that could still be a possibility. What do you guys think? I thought maybe this might be endemic to the 1987 Vette. So, before I begin yanking things out I thought I would ask the experts for your opinion first. Thank you for your time!

Answer: When you experience the condition when the engine will not crank over, here are some things to check. Load test the battery. Check that the battery cable connections are clean. Check for 12 volts to starter solenoid with the key in the start position. These things should be checked first then the ignition switch, neutral safety switch, starter and starter solenoid. One of these may be faulty. You might also want to check for resistance in the wire connectors going through the firewall.

Answer: What you might want to do is check on the Internet for automotive centers that restores Corvettes. They should be able to locate the parts you need.

Answer: You can disengage the alarm system by locking and unlocking the drivers door with the key from the outside.

Answer: We are a little confused by your question. You stated that you have a 1988 Corvette with a 2.9 V6 engine. We believe your car should have a 350 V8. Assuming it has the V8 and an automatic transmission, then the problem may be the lock-up torque converter in the transmission. The converter locks-up only in high gear. It is supposed to disengage at lower speeds. Yours is not disengaging. There is probably a valve in the transmission “hanging up”. Having the transmission serviced with new fluid may help the problem. Next step, the valve body will have to be removed and cleaned paying special attention to the TCC solenoid. The TCC solenoid may have to be replaced.

Answer: All the components were designed and engineered to work together. Changing things like camshafts and displacement upsets the synchronization of other parts. You are probably experiencing a lean mixture. To verify that; disconnect the vacuum hose to the fuel pressure regulator to increase the fuel pressure. Doing this should richen up the mixture and probably help with the “popping” problem. If this works, you are going to have to figure out a way to richen the mixture up.

Question: 1985 Corvette mileage: 69,000 Do I need an oil cooler? My new engine in my Corvette runs a 230-degree oil temperature. After running at 80-85 for 10-15 miles out of Atlanta traffic, but cools to around 215-220 at 70-75, range is this ok? I took the cheap route and decided not to replace the dirty cooler on the new motor. But, let me tell you, Jasper Engine Company! Hats off to you, this red 85 will smoke! What do you think Bob & Ken?

Answer: An oil temperature of 220 degrees is normal.

Question:  1968 Chevy Corvette mileage: 87,000 miles. What is the proper procedure to conduct a compression test?

Answer: Remove all eight spark plugs. Remove and secure 12-volt wire from ignition coil. Place compression gauge in spark plug hole. Crank engine approximately 5 to 10 seconds. Gauge reading should be approximately 159 pounds.

Answer: Were the valve seals soft and pliable or hard as a rock? The hard ones are “over the hill.” A compression reading of 135 to 140 is about right. The 180 reading may be the result of excess oil in the cylinder. That may be the cause of your oil problem.

Question: 1989 Chevy Corvette mileage: 49,200.  My 1989 Corvette, has developed a serious smoking problem. The car is well maintained, oil changed regularly, and is not driven in the winter, and has only 49,000 miles. The problem came out of nowhere, it wasn’t a gradual thing. Thick white smoke billows out of the exhaust (it smells sweet, doesn’t have any type of blue color to it). I checked vacuum, and it was ok, I also did a compression check, that was ok. I then removed a valve spring from the right side of the engine to check the condition of the valve seal (it looked brand new!) Before I go through the trouble of replacing the valve seals, I figured I would get some advice. (The color of the smoke has me confused, it is so white and thick, and it doesn’t smell like oil) Any advice is appreciated.

Answer: The sweet smelling white smoke is coming out of the exhaust and is probably coolant. More than likely, the head gaskets have failed. There is a slight chance of a cracked head.

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