Man…..I have to say…..this is probably the Number 1 video I’ve ever seen on C5’s!! I’m soaking up as much info as possible because I’m looking at an amazing ‘04 Commemorative Edition that I’ve already fallen in love with …. As a newbie to the Corvette world…..you just made feel a lot better about the “little things” that tend to plague these cars…. And I cant wait to get her into my garage now more than ever!!
I've had a 98 for a few years now and done a few things to it here and there. Do not regret it at all. These cars are the best "value for money" sport touring cars you can find. I dropped 15k to buy it and maybe put another 4-5 into it. I think I will hang onto it for a while yet. 15k in the corvette world it nothing! I have friends that have put 6 figures into their cars and are still not happy with them.
Black lights? That's bananas! I think I mentioned this on one of your other videos!? On your DIC - if you press and hold number 4 (OPTIONS) and then press number 1 (FUEL) six times it put you into the mode where tapping 3 or 4 respectively scrolls up and down, and you can reset anything on the fly including traction control and abs or anything that's intermittent ¿`_
Great video, bud! I’ve had my C5 for about 12 years now and I learned a few new things! Never thought about checking the door system so it would think the door is closed, you reminded me I need to milk, my C5. I haven’t done it in a while, I had a big plastic bag. It was against my radiator, causing it to overheat this year, right now I have a loose right rear tire rod that make a noise and they won 800 for that, you didn’t mention the shock absorbers and the electronic shocks that run over $1000 apiece, I replace my front ones, now I gotta replace my rear ones, Better avoid speed bumps like the plague out here in Phoenix. Cheers!
Just another FYI about the C-5. From the time I got my 2000, I had always hated that there wasn't a way to open the passenger door in a "Gentlemanly" manner, due to GMs wisdom of eliminating the lockset from all passenger doors across their product line. Unfortunately the Corvette door was remolded to accommodate the smaller door handle, which isn't interchangeable with the Oldsmobile one anymore. '97, '98, and '99 are. 2000-2004 passenger handles are unique to Corvette no locksets and the ones with locksets won't fit without fiberglass work. I sourced an Artic White passenger door, complete for a few hundred dollars and it went on perfectly the color match was impeccable. But, most importantly the door lock/key mechanism worked perfectly. It was plug and play, no weird alarm issues. But, the secret of turn the key in the driver's door once to unlock driver, twice to unlock passenger, 3-times to pop hatch, now also work from my passenger door. The wiring harness from the "new" door plugged right in and worked with the car like it was born that way. Hopefully others will share my love of these cars and my pet peeves.
You just use the remote to unlock all doors to let a lady in. I eliminated my lock in my passenger door handle for a cleaner look, by buying a color matched door handle with no lock cylinder for my 98 C5.
@@toddm.7746 surely pushing a button that could fail for any number of reasons, especially the finicky nature of C-5 electrical systems, remember subcontractors were the lowest bidders prior to GM bankruptcy and it is evident in all their products from that era,, pales in comparison to actually reaching around a "date" and inserting a key in a slot, very suggestive. Besides, is chivalry dead! I am old school, wish my 2000 wasn't drive by wire. Best thing is that it is a rare Borg-Warner 6spd manual Arctic White Coupe.
You are so right, whan you said, "Got a problem, look it up on youtube." . I've been using youtube to work on vehicles, computers, and household appliances. Besides the money I've saved, I just like learning new stuff and being self sufficient as possible.
Mark, I totally enjoyed this video and now will go through all of your videos on YT. I've had my 2000 C5 for 18 years and have seen countless tips and repair clinics on line, and like you have saved piles of cash DIYing repairs. I checked out the USN flag in your garage so I know you are NAVY. Thank you for your service! I was never in the service but am a Naval History addict, and am on the US Naval Institute mailing list. Love the video on the window regulator and my poor ol 2000 is going to get a regulator hardware check and tighten as they are very FLOPPY! Also, you said my abs module is fixable in the 20 tips video. Are you sure of that because I had understood that the cut off was 2001 and newer. Regardless of this mystery, your videos are among the best I've seen on line, and you are obviously very bright, well informed and extremely articulate. Than you so much for your tips. George White Scituate, MA
Hi, I just have to thank you for passing along the “wealth of tribal knowledge” on the venerable C5. I’ve been looking for a fun ride and hadn’t really thought Vette. Long story short - bought a 2002 C-5 convertible from son-in-law about a month ago. I love this car. Your site has been among the very best sources of info, secrets, things to watch for, etc. I’m planning a number of upgrades - LEDs in and out, infotainment/rear backup camera upgrade, maybe seats. I’ve got some work to tighten up windows and a few tuning upgrades. Nothing crazy, just perk her up a bit. Thanks for giving so freely if your time and knowledge. It is incredibly helpful, especially for someone new to Vettes. Thx.
I have owned a 2004, Z06 Commemorative edition about 10 years now and thought I pretty much knew it all. I don't! Thanks for the research and passing it along. Mine is not stock. Cam, heads, headers, air intake and Hurst shifter. The dyno shows right at 425 HP at the rear wheels. That my friends, will move a 3K lb car down the road. It is a hot rod and not meant for stop and go traffic. Fun to drive in the mountains. We love our C5s, do we not? TT
FWIW, there are a total of five udders. Three on the driver's side and two more on the passenger side. You can actually reach the driver's side udders from the top without removing the inner fender well lining, but it ain't easy. There's one udder that you can't see, but you can feel where it is and remove it. But, reinstalling these udders will be time consuming and you better be a contortionist, but it can be done. As to the passenger side. Those are much easier but will necessitate you removing the battery. Great video. Save the Wave👋
@@carltonrunforrestrunsmith2931 They lead the Water to the Ground. If you leave them off, the Water will spray over the whole Engine Room, and even over the Battery.
Ok imma just stop this right here at 3:41. WTF you say, black lights!!!! That's just fucking narly no other way to put it and I never use that word. That's a wow factor of 10 man. You literally taught me something new and Kool in the same day, great job best video ever, other stuff good so far too
Great tips!! I've had my '03Z for seven years and only knew 5 and 15.....not counting 20! Just sold it but will definitely pass along this link for the new owner!!
Black light was a new one to me! Good stuff! 97-99 had a keyhole on pass side, they did away with that in 2000. Those 99 frc’s trying to pose as a Z car forget to swap the door handle (yes, saw one at Carlisle) My opinion on the fuel system stuff-could be argued the 97-98 fuel system was the better system as the fuel regulator is mounted at the fuel rail vs back at the filter. Few benefits here- $$$ - 97-98 fuel filter is ~$10 whereas the 99-early 03 is $50+. Fuel starvation with modified cars is a big issues with the 99+ cars- many have retrofitted back to 97-8 setup. I imagine cost and something with emissions played a role- 99+ would have cooler fuel as it’s circulated back at filter/tank vs at the rail. The whole 03+ was a test bed for the c6 fuel system. Lucky 03+ owners…. There is something to be said about upgrading the big 3 on these cars and cleaning up the grounds. Enjoy your content- nice to have a fresh set of eyes/ideas and able to apply newer developed items to the platform.
The lights in my center dash console were getting dimmer and dimmer. I went online to purchase new parts and found a video on how to fix the problem. It amounted to removing the center dash bezel and locating a circuit board then re-soldering several resistor connections on the circuit board. Very easy to do and it worked perfectly. I'm sure you can find that video. I like free fixes. Thanks for your tips.
Excellent info! I learned a few things. BTW...The other important reason to keep the three udders clean is to prevent damaging the wiper motor. If the udders don't drain the water, the wiper motor gets flooded.
I’m not a 100% sure on this but I know in my 05 Silverado, the headlights and dash lights will dim whenever I roll my windows up or down. A lot of people counter act that by doing “The Big 3” upgrade. You are upgrading the size of wire for charge lead from alternator output stud to battery, the return path between the alternator and vehicle ground and the return path between the battery negative and the vehicle ground. Maybe that would be worth trying. My understanding is that the alternator is putting out enough power but the wires can’t handle the amount of power that is needed to run everything properly so it pulls power(dims headlights) from one thing to another. I did the upgrade on a 02 Trans Am I had and I highly recommend trying that to see if it fixes the dimming headlight issue.
Great info. I am constantly learning. Hear are a few extra things I learned with my 2003 c5. Parts interchange. Fuel system: late production 2003 c5 has the FFS RPO code just like the 2004. That means the filter and some components are inside fuel tank. FFS also has a better crossover tube, older c5's just have a rubber hose. The c5 fuel tank for the driver side is discontinued, and passenger side is like $700.00. C5 and C6 tanks are interchangeable. (if you have the FFS rpo code.) The headlight motors are also same for the 1996 and newer firebirds. same with the headlight motor bumper stops. the a arms are the same as on cadilac cts. If you are into stock c5 radio, the same radio is sometimes found in various 2000's suvs, and silverado pick up trucks. scoring some spare radio knobs and parts at junk yard is cheap and fun. Also, if you write down the relay part numbers, you can find lots of spares at junkyard for free, off of other GM cars. (put in pocket.) GM tends to use the same relays in other cars. sure you can buy new ones for $15.00 to $20 each, but if you want a parts drawer with plenty of spares that can cost a lot. I am about to replace my bulbs in the instrument cluster, and there is a guy on you tube showing how to do that. Yes there are the 2 black lights, but there seems to be 4 backlight bulbs, and 15 to 20 other bulbs for the indicator lights. Check it out. I think the name is batee, and he sells or did sell lamp kits.
Don't forget about the udder on the passenger side, behind the battery! Also, all c5 owners, check your passenger side cowl for mouse nests, it's very common in these because it's easily accessable and the perfect spot for a mouse to call home.
Thank you for your service.. I was US Army 84-91 HOOAH ! ! ! :O) Great vid, thanks. I'm looking at a 2001 and 2002, both convertibles and have the 6 speed manual transmission. :)
When I park my '04 C5 for the evening, I always put it on the trickle charger whenever possible. This Vette has always had a very slight current draw, so a freshly charged battery is a plus
Hey…my visor mirrors we’re a drain problem for me. Pretty crappy set up. Had to disconnect the passenger side, one time B4 a round of ⛳️. I forgot to lower the visor when I put the top up and snapped the cover right off…😱
Thanks for the tips . Picked up a Garage Queen 2001 C 5 Convertible. .Only had 33 k on it . Have my Camaro's But told Wife / GF . My biological clock is running out I need to have a Vette . Pre retirement gift to my self . Lol
The best cure for any incandescent headlights is to run relays for the high and low beams. Then the stock wiring provides the trigger voltage only and the light relays go straight to battery voltage. Many times you end up 1.5 to 2 volts higher at the bulb compared to stock.
The hard shift is usually the detent ball in the transmission. There's a hack for using an oil plug gasket that lessens the pressure of the spring. But when I did mine I found the roller was seized up. Freed that up along with the spacer and it shifts like butter. The subwoofer in the door people complain about it buzzing. It's really the Bose logo vibrating. A dab or two of a clear silicone applied with a tooth pick stops the vibration. The LS 6 Fuel injectors swapped with the intake plenum is a worthwhile upgrade. The suspension can be swapped out with C6 Z51 parts. Heavier sway bars, metal sway bar ends, and poly bushings make it take corners with no dipping or diving. It drives like it's on rails. My drivers door lock button quit. That turned out to be a small trace fried on the circuit board. The rubber cover has to be carefully removed without tearing it to get to the board. After the repair glue the rubber around the edges with a little clear silicone. If you remove the door panels and the clips rip out of the holders there's an aluminum $20 repair part to fix it. You should also change out your clutch fluid often to make sure the fluid doesn't get contaminated. Or your pedal will stick to the floor. If your oil pressure gets erratic you need a new sender. You can either remove the intake and slide it forward, or pull the wiper valance and use the chop a hole method to access the sender. I used the chop a hole method and I have had to replace my sender twice so I consider it worth it. I used a small hole saw and a little silicone to glue the plug back in the hole with a little aluminum tape. You can't see it because of the wiper valance
Here I quick tip I learned my 2000 C5 after sitting all winter the passenger window would not go down. Slammed the door a couple of times and it works fine.
The oil pressure sensor is a common problem. A relocation kit is a must, unless you like removing the intake everytime the sensor goes bad, because it will eventually. If you go LED for the taillights, get a hyperflash so you don't need the resistors. And don't use LED bubs in your factory headlight assembly. They are not designed for LEDs, you'll be blinding oncoming drivers. Replace with an ACA projector assembly, major lighting improvement over stock. Another tip on weathersrip preservation. Clean throughly and lubricate with dielectric grease only. A little goes a long way.
Great video, instant sub for me. Am I picking up a little Ohio accent? That is one clean beast: (We’ll forget about the passenger floor😮). Black light, wow, cool. I’m still chasing the dreaded “Reduced engine power” gremlin, in my 01 convertible. I try a few things each year, say F-it, and just drive it- pull over and clear the codes as needed. Could be good for a month, or can die 3 times on the way to the corner store…🤯. Doesn’t stop, me from absolutely loving it. Does stop me from doing the pretty stuff, I have plans for….fixing the cheese grater seat foam and new leather. Oh well. Almost 99K and that LS1 fires right up and still pulls like a freight train…🍻
Not too familiar with the reduced engine power gremlin (luckily). I could definitely do some homework on it and make a comprehensive video on it though. I'm from DC. I don't think we have accents (🤔🤷🏼♂️). Thanks for watching! I'll have a bunch of new Corvette content up once my garage reno is complete. 🤙👍
@@VetOnVettes Thaks for hitting me back. It’s all “Sev Traction MGT” stuff. P1125/P1281 currently. Both accl pedal codes. Swapped it…nope. Sent the EBCM to ABSfixer for a rebuild. He pulled P1287 code out of it, didn’t know they held codes…steering pos sensor. That will have to wait until next season. Bit out of my wheelhouse and budget, this year. Suppose I’m just gonna have to bite the bullet and take it to a Chevy dealer….😎
my 01 keeps having a charge system fault. has new alt, new starter, and new battery. after talking to some other C5 owners i think there is a wire somewhere with a break or partial break in it causing me issues, i was recommended a guy who use to before he retired work at a chevy dealer as the Corvette specific guy so im going to let him give it a spin and hope he can fix it. the only other option is to rewire the whole car.
Memory settings, there are two that are obvious. There is a third. Press and hold 1and 2 at the same time now your in the third memory. I use mine to set the mirrors for when I’m backing into a parking spot. Check it out. I was told about this after I bought my 03 in 02. Guess it’s still not widely known after 20 years. Thanks
Easy way to fix the “udders”. Just reach up there and pull them right out. You don’t need them anyway they will never get plugged in the water. Will always drain out.
Just wanted to let you know of 1 other body part that was not specific to the c5 corvette. The backup lights housing with the license plate frame is actually the exact same as what is on the retro Chevy SSR pickup trucks.
To be fair, the SSR borrowed the part from the vette- not the other way around which was the intended point. C6 has the c5 traction control button doesn’t it? :)
I've owned over 20 C5's in over 20 years, and the header hvac really isn't that stupid, with ARH hooked up right, I seem to make around +10whp on a mustang dyno. The utters can be clipped, I did it, for a bigger opening, if you don't it could get into your wiper motor, although in the 04'Z06 they're extremely well sealed boxes.
I am a C5 purist and I have watched several of your videos and have cross-checked the information you’ve shared here and so far you’re spot on!! That left me with only one option… It’s time for me to subscribe! I have a question. I’m looking for the C5 Z06 VIN registry and can’t find it. If you know of it, please share. Thanks 🙏
It's a little time consuming, but not difficult. Key thing if you're connecting into the OEM system: purchase the wiring harness that includes the 4 channel trim pots. The output on all 4 channels will likely need to be increased.
Random question, never like a yellow car. But the Z06 in Yellow isn't bad. How do you like having a yellow Z06? Was it your first choice and what do you think about yellow for resale? I've always thought its a tougher color for resale. Enjoy you videos!
I know your not asking me but I just picked up a yellow 04 zo6 a few days ago and I've been looking for a few months on a black one but once I saw the yellow up close it hits different and it grows on you very quickly
I do like the yellow. If definitely draws a lot of attention. In fact this is my 3rd yellow car (all by chance and not on purpose). I had a 95 C4 yellow and a 2003 neon SRT-4. I never had an issue selling any of them. In fact the SRT-4 went super quick as that was the most sought after one. Thanks for watching.
@@fernysquirny3656 i agree yellow was not my first choice but after looking at it in person im actually glad i went yellow over black i found with a black z06 all the accents blend in because there black. I find yellow red and white are probably the best colors for a c5 z06
When I'm driving on the highway, I get a quick jerk.The front end on the right hand side just jerks.And it comes out dinner , sometimes it jerks several times I don't understand which
Hello I have installed a hyper-flash module and switchbacks that work fine, I got some strobe LEDs for the rear, everything works fine but the 4 way flashers hyper-flash do I need a different type bulb or another modification?
Wowi really enjoyed your video on C5 Tips. I have a '03 50 th anniversary edition convertible. My question how to reset the miles remaining, when I have a full tank i have a message saying that I have 100+ miles remaining. How to reset it? Thanks if anyone might have a fix.. 7:06
Hello I really liked your video all good usable information with one correction about Ecbm/module "97"-00" are the first module.(must buy used module) "01-04"the last module ( fixable)
