Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles sit. - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

KMK454 · 02-11-2008, 02:24 AM

I just came back from a month of training, been out of the loop... let my vehicles sit in a garage.

Well, the 2005 Corvette is as dead as a brick. No life whatsoever. Dead battery, electrical gremlins, and the starter is all flaky.

So what on earth do I do?

I get in my '78, it cranks for about 2 seconds, and fires up with authority! Hell yeah!

I thought it was funny... I had to drive to some autoshops to get tools to get my 'vette moving, but it still won't budge, so I'm keeping at it.

PS - It's great to be back after a month of no driving and hop into a Chevy pickup!

Left: ol' reliable. Right: the young punk.

Here's where I've been living and what I've been driving for the past month!

Combat outpost #12 at the training center in Fort Irwin, CA:

My GM truck!

It's great to be "back" and cruisin' again!

1LoC10 · 02-11-2008, 03:12 AM

welcome back man.... thanks for rubbing the vette in our faces..lol

BLE 'BURBAN · 02-11-2008, 05:26 AM

HEY I BEEN THERE TOO!!! NTC California 2 1/2 months desert legion training back in mid March til the end of May '86. I was in 5th battalion, 73rd armored of the 194th armored brigade out of Ft.Knox, Ky. from '83-'87. 63N Heavy track vehicle tech. (M60A3 MBT)

1984 swb chevy · 02-11-2008, 08:47 AM

You should get a battery tender. It will slow charge and keep your battery at full charge. It will also extend the life of your battery.

72freak · 02-11-2008, 11:31 AM

Im not surprised..........thats why GM lost my new car business in the mid 90's

harnalien · 02-11-2008, 11:35 AM

i went to NTCtwice, in 98 and 99. i'm guessing you're not an e-4. haha. nice rides!

tyjoja · 02-11-2008, 12:59 PM

kurt, appreciate your service, that is a super nice truck, tell me those mirrors aren't stock, I think I'd throw some sport mirrors on that. On second thought if I had something that nice I wouldn't touch it. good luck, bob

cjracing15 · 02-11-2008, 01:27 PM

Thanks for your service, and I am in love with your truck.

gchemist · 02-11-2008, 03:44 PM

Take the car out for target practise!!

Nice training facilities. Boy I'm glad I never did traing like that for a month!

Thumpin455 · 02-12-2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gchemist

Take the car out for target practise!!

Nice training facilities. Boy I'm glad I never did traing like that for a month!

A month pales in comparison to a year in Afghanistan..

the battery in my 98 Formula dies after about 4 months, it doesnt move in winter, I hadnt started the 76 in two months, it was 21F outside, and it cranked right up. Come to think of it, I should start the 98 today, its blistering cold out there....

Mickey_D · 02-12-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpin455

A month pales in comparison to a year in Afghanistan..

the battery in my 98 Formula dies after about 4 months, it doesnt move in winter, I hadnt started the 76 in two months, it was 21F outside, and it cranked right up. Come to think of it, I should start the 98 today, its blistering cold out there....

Heh, bring it up here!! It's warmed up to a heat wave this evening : 18 below.

My truck has NEVER given me trouble in the cold other than the oil getting to the consistency of frozen molasses. Plug the block heater in for 15 minutes when it's 40 below and she gives her hell!! I love my truck.

KMK454 · 02-12-2008, 01:22 PM

Thanks for the comments guys...

I had to hook the 'vette up to the truck and jump start it. Eventually it fired up. Onlookers thought it was funny that the old Chevy had to jump start the new Chevy! Go figure!

PhilaTruck · 02-11-2008, 11:04 PM

Nice truck, great story!

ton*loc · 02-12-2008, 02:09 AM

lol that is a funny story. old school all the way !!!!

untill it comes to impressing the ladies then you gotta go with the vette

DSLBURB84 · 02-12-2008, 04:00 AM

The Battery tender is a great idea. All the electrical whizzies at the end of your key fob are tied to things in the car. The car is just sitting there, looking awesome, waiting for your to hit the button. Its receivers are all on and waiting to receive. My wifes boss has an 06 with the 400 horse LS2 and transponders she has the same trouble with hers. Its a shame that the height of American Sports Car Technology can't engineer a maintenance system for the battery, perhaps on the dash in the sun

89 crew · 02-12-2008, 04:44 AM

Where would the profit be in a built in battery maintenance system? As it is they get to sell parts to fix every thing the low battery messes up! If you stop that damage they will loose out on a lot of parts sales.

BLE 'BURBAN · 02-12-2008, 06:48 AM

you can get fully automatic trickle charger at your local auto parts store that will simply plug into the cigarette lighter and into the nearest wall outlet.
When I was working for BMW up here, they had/have one for their cars that would go into monitor mode when the battery ws fully charged and would kick in when it sensed the battery was discharged below 80% capacity. That one retailed for $69.00

**Captkaos** · 02-13-2008, 02:43 AM

My 2000 FRC does that too. If it sits for more than about 10 days without cranking I have to jump it off. Of course it doesn't get drive that much though with only 46,000 miles.

02-11-2008, 03:12 AM	#2
1LoC10 Insert Title Here Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 5,679	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s welcome back man.... thanks for rubbing the vette in our faces..lol __________________ BOBBY _69 SWB_ 1000 pics of 67-72's>> http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z...-72/?start=all <<

02-11-2008, 05:26 AM	#3
BLE 'BURBAN In the Forgotten far North. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 2,627	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s HEY I BEEN THERE TOO!!! NTC California 2 1/2 months desert legion training back in mid March til the end of May '86. I was in 5th battalion, 73rd armored of the 194th armored brigade out of Ft.Knox, Ky. from '83-'87. 63N Heavy track vehicle tech. (M60A3 MBT) __________________ 1987 R3500 CREW CAB DUALLY (BIG RED)Acquired 06/12/2015 1990 chevy suburban V2500 5.7L My cluster Mods-Nov 2007 overhead console Stereo install Round 2 Aug 2009 Heated/turn signal mirror upgrade

02-11-2008, 08:47 AM	#4
1984 swb chevy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 466	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s You should get a battery tender. It will slow charge and keep your battery at full charge. It will also extend the life of your battery.

02-11-2008, 11:31 AM	#5
72freak Rottenwood Garage Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Marietta, Georgia Posts: 4,321	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Im not surprised..........thats why GM lost my new car business in the mid 90's __________________ 2004 Chevrolet Suburban C1500 2001 Chevrolet 2500HD Crew 6.0 1999 Harley Davidson Electra Glide 1972 Chevrolet C-20 Custom Camper "Dump Truck" 1972 Chevrolet C-20 Suburban "Big Green" 1969 Chevrolet C-50 Wedge Hauler "Leonidis" 1966 C-10 2x4 short fleet 327 4 speed "Race Truck" 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook "Rican" (my grandfathers) 1931 Ford Model A Coupe "Black Beauty" 1930 Ford Model A truck "Club Cab" 4x4 Rottenwood Garage and Speed Shop.....where everything must be racy! *It's not just a hobby..It's a LIFESTYLE!!!* Thanks for nothing Barrett-Jackson You cant fix stupid or teach accountability! Time wasters, looky Lous and tire kickers are everywhere!

02-11-2008, 11:35 AM	#6
harnalien TruckincrazY Join Date: May 2004 Location: Haslet, TX Posts: 493	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s i went to NTCtwice, in 98 and 99. i'm guessing you're not an e-4. haha. nice rides!

02-11-2008, 02:24 AM	#1
KMK454 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA Posts: 440	Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles sit. I just came back from a month of training, been out of the loop... let my vehicles sit in a garage. Well, the 2005 Corvette is as dead as a brick. No life whatsoever. Dead battery, electrical gremlins, and the starter is all flaky. So what on earth do I do? I get in my '78, it cranks for about 2 seconds, and fires up with authority! Hell yeah! I thought it was funny... I had to drive to some autoshops to get tools to get my 'vette moving, but it still won't budge, so I'm keeping at it. PS - It's great to be back after a month of no driving and hop into a Chevy pickup! Left: ol' reliable. Right: the young punk. Here's where I've been living and what I've been driving for the past month! Combat outpost #12 at the training center in Fort Irwin, CA: My GM truck! It's great to be "back" and cruisin' again! __________________ Kurt Instagram: @kurtkphoto 1978 C10 Silverado 1991 Camaro B4C

02-11-2008, 12:59 PM	#7
tyjoja Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: albany oregon Posts: 168	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s kurt, appreciate your service, that is a super nice truck, tell me those mirrors aren't stock, I think I'd throw some sport mirrors on that. On second thought if I had something that nice I wouldn't touch it. good luck, bob

02-11-2008, 01:27 PM	#8
cjracing15 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lexington, TN Posts: 1,427	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Thanks for your service, and I am in love with your truck. __________________ The fleet 94 Chevy 4x4 reg cab 2018 Traverse (wifes car) 1977 SWB stepside 1949 Chevy truck

02-11-2008, 03:44 PM	#9
gchemist BAD BOW-Silverado XST Join Date: May 2000 Location: Senior Member from Austin, TX Posts: 6,431	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Take the car out for target practise!! Nice training facilities. Boy I'm glad I never did traing like that for a month!

02-12-2008, 01:22 PM	#12
KMK454 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA Posts: 440	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Thanks for the comments guys... I had to hook the 'vette up to the truck and jump start it. Eventually it fired up. Onlookers thought it was funny that the old Chevy had to jump start the new Chevy! Go figure! __________________ Kurt Instagram: @kurtkphoto 1978 C10 Silverado 1991 Camaro B4C

02-11-2008, 11:04 PM	#13
PhilaTruck Right on the line, baby! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Phila, PA 19130 Posts: 1,486	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Nice truck, great story! __________________ 83 GMC 406 th400/3.73 Eaton Truetrac posi, headers, x pipe, & racePros. Tubular control arms, lowering rear springs, caltracs. Still ugly, but getting built right, although slowly Click and scroll down for site vendors! Subscribe here!

02-12-2008, 02:09 AM	#14
ton*loc Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: sioux city iowa Posts: 178	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s lol that is a funny story. old school all the way !!!! untill it comes to impressing the ladies then you gotta go with the vette __________________ 1986 chevy c10 in the "build" process as we speak 358 flat tops, vortec heads, .500 lift cam, NOS power shot plate system, yada yada yada MMA PIX http://www.clgpix.com/MMA/Fighters/F...C/CoteTony.htm MMA RECORD 24-5

02-12-2008, 04:00 AM	#15
DSLBURB84 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 7	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s The Battery tender is a great idea. All the electrical whizzies at the end of your key fob are tied to things in the car. The car is just sitting there, looking awesome, waiting for your to hit the button. Its receivers are all on and waiting to receive. My wifes boss has an 06 with the 400 horse LS2 and transponders she has the same trouble with hers. Its a shame that the height of American Sports Car Technology can't engineer a maintenance system for the battery, perhaps on the dash in the sun __________________ AlaskaDSLhttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/images/smilies/chevy.gif

02-12-2008, 04:44 AM	#16
89 crew Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 865	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s Where would the profit be in a built in battery maintenance system? As it is they get to sell parts to fix every thing the low battery messes up! If you stop that damage they will loose out on a lot of parts sales.

02-12-2008, 06:48 AM	#17
BLE 'BURBAN In the Forgotten far North. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 2,627	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s you can get fully automatic trickle charger at your local auto parts store that will simply plug into the cigarette lighter and into the nearest wall outlet. When I was working for BMW up here, they had/have one for their cars that would go into monitor mode when the battery ws fully charged and would kick in when it sensed the battery was discharged below 80% capacity. That one retailed for $69.00 __________________ 1987 R3500 CREW CAB DUALLY (BIG RED)Acquired 06/12/2015 1990 chevy suburban V2500 5.7L My cluster Mods-Nov 2007 overhead console Stereo install Round 2 Aug 2009 Heated/turn signal mirror upgrade



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02-13-2008, 02:43 AM	#18
Captkaos www.73-87chevytrucks.com Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 6,935	Re: Old-school reliability vs. new-school... back after a month of letting vehicles s My 2000 FRC does that too. If it sits for more than about 10 days without cranking I have to jump it off. Of course it doesn't get drive that much though with only 46,000 miles. __________________ Chris Lucas 1973 Chevy C-10 1978 GMC Jimmy (2WD) - SOLD 1987 R10 twin turbo LS 1991 R3500 SRW CrewCab 1985 K5 diesel swapped project 1989 K5 2WD conversion w/ Vette susp Project Captkaos Customs 73-87chevytrucks.com

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