51 yr mechanic here This engine overheating can really wreck a engine, bad. Even 1 time. If you care about your engine, keep the cooling system in good shape and monitor the water temp. If it starts to rise out of the blue, SHUT IT OFF IMMEDIATLY and find out why DO NOT drive it hot even for a little bit.
Dealership quoted me 8k dollars to fix my 2015 6.2 Silverado LTZ 6.2l. I did it myself for under 2k bucks. LS7 lifters and a BTR cam. I'm a old School dragracer and I also own a 1990 ZR-1 that I work on myself. Never been in a LS based engine but I went for it and 11k miles later she is smooth as butter. Also installed a catch can. All I'm saying is if you think you can , do it yourself . I feel bad for the owner , that was a complete rip off.
As owning a 64 Corvette, a car before sensors and codes. I'm finding the so-called shade tree mechanics that take better care of my car than even the overpriced specialized Corvette shops! Adjusting a carb is becoming a long forgotten art
I can tell you personally that C&S Corvettes the place to be for vette owners. Lyle and the team are the best. They take care of your car as if its their own. I brought my C6 in to have them look at it for a vibration that i was feeling. Instead of seeting an appointment 3 months away they stopped what they were doing and took the car for a ride to diagnose it right there and then....For Free. Also while I was there they looked over the car for any issues that are common for these cars.
Lyle, you win the gold star for wanting to keep peace with the dealers but you know that we know many more Corvette war stories going way back! Unfortunately, not unusual for Service Manager to not have a clue about his teams skillset.
Blessed to have a local shop for the small items like oil changes and the like and two hour drive to C&S Corvette for those bigger needs! No dealerships ever for our 25 year old C5!
I agree, no dealerships for our C5's. I've had my own horror stories dealing with them and my C5 (I've owned 13 yrs now.) I used to think they know Corvettes inside & out! NOT!
I have owned Corvettes since I was 16 years old, I am now 74. I have had in all that time one Corvette mechanic that has done all my service and repairs on all my cars. He has worked for Chevy dealers for 40 years or so , working on Corvettes. No one touches my car but him.
I am sure that dealer pays him well and has a good list of Vette owners that come to him. Now that is a Vette owners friend. But that type dealer is few and far between.
If you must go to a dealer, find a CORVETTE dealer that happens to sell CARS & TRUCKS. Don't go to a CAR & TRUCK dealer that happens to also sell a few Vetts.
When I was still working. One of my many task was taking care of maintenance and repairs on a fleet of vehicles. I dropped one of our company’s vehicles off at a shop for a repair. And asked if they were able to also work on a 94’ Vette. There answer was, “ It’s just like any other Chevy. “ Needless to say, I never let them work on my 94’. Lol
Finally the truth about Corvette service. Folks ,do not be fooled by a service garage that may have a Corvette in its bay or on its lot waiting for repair. I found the GM dealers are not any better. I have my own horror story about my 2002 that would take way too much typing to post here. There is not a mechanic in a dealership that understands a c4 or c5. I will get a bit crude here but this my analysis of the attitude these service centers. They will piss in your hand then swear to you it was rain. There is no C&S quality garage near me so now my mechanic of choice is You Tube. My recently purchased 2003 anniversary convertible is now serviced in my attached garage. I am not on a clock so I can take my time and get it right.
Obviously you're going to the wrong dealership. I have a 2001 convertible my co-worker has a two C6's; his driver making 700 HP at the wheels and his racer making 1200 HP at the wheels, so don't tell me we don't know how to fix Corvettes
@@andrewgkalipetis5867 You may be exceptionally skilled with a vette, but that’s way outside the norm. Good luck trying to convince us a dealership is a good option for a C4/5
Greetings from Minsk, Belarus! You still are the best among those, who gives so usefull information about Corvettes! Thanks a lot! With all my respect, Nick
Took my 10 year old 1990 Corvette to a dealership some years ago to replace a leaking heater core. They assured me their Corvette expert would be doing the work. It was a disaster the dash had a noticeable hump in the middle kind of "tent" look I refused to accept the car. They reworked the dash and it looked OK. Then I consulted my shop- manual and learned that the heater core should have been removed from the engine compartment no need to remove the dash at all. I would recommend consulting with your local Corvette club if there is one for recommendations.
I took an 87 vert with a no start problem to a local mom and pop. The problem was beyond them so they parked it out back in the dirt. It rained hard while it was there and splattered mud all over my new paint job. I went to the Corvette Forum where I learned how to diagnose the problem and fix it with a used part that was behind the dash. At least the shop only kept it for two days and only charged me a nominal fee.
@@connor3288 There is a module behind the dash that syncs with the chip in the key. I told Vette 2 Vette my key code and he tested a used one and sent it to me. Worked great.
Ridiculous. These horror stories are why I use an Indy if I can’t of course fix it myself. TY for getting these kind of stories out to those unexpected. 👍👍
This is very believable as Dealers do charge a fortune to fix anything on even their brands. If you go to an independent shop you will get quoted a lesser bill but not that much less. Modern Corvettes are complicated on everything. And they all charge more just because it is a Corvette. I want a C6 so bad but prices refuse to go down over the years and if something major goes wrong you are up the creek.
Insane $8200 for nada. What a shame. very useful video, Lyle. so many important points here. Dealerships are known as “stealerships” for a reason. Their main objective is selling cars and making profits on extra goodies which aren’t needed when you go to sign that contract.
Ya Know they took the heads off and put them back on, that's alot of work, not 8200 bucks worth but.... I wonder if he REALLY Overheated it and had the oil boil and foam and had the oil pressure go to zero for awhile, that would destroy some internals
Squeking wheels get the grease. He should have driven around and got the service writer to take a ride. I had an issue on my brand new Silverado in 1999. I first tried the dealer got nowhere. I went to GM corprate got stall tactics. Finally, I went to lacal new radio and they made a couple of phone calls and GM sent me to a different dealer for warranty work, and I got a $3000 refund from GM. However, it was a lot of work to stay in the fight! Thanks
I can relate to this story. Unless my car is under warranty, I don't go near a dealer. I have an '88 C4 I don't know what to do with. It has 216,000 miles and severely fails the California smog test. I know my way around these older cars. So, I chased the emissions issue and replaced all the usual suspects (EGR valve, solenoids, vacuum lines, etc.). Anyway, that was years ago and the C4 just sits in my garage wasting space. I'm retired and won't spend $6000 on an engine. I should just scrap the C4 out but my wife is so attached to it. It was her car back in the day. We bought it when it was just one year old in 1989.
Great video Lyle, truthfully there are no local shops in this area that are experienced enough to service the older Vette's, C&S being the exception. There are just not enough skilled mechanics with this knowledge. We are losing what few there are available to retirement and just being fed up with all the inherent difficulties in running a profitable shop! Terrible treatment that poor guy received. I have heard many complaints similar to this from dealer inexperience, not quite this drastic but they are out there. TD
Don't give up. Chalk it up to you "lost" this time. I work on laws of averages. And I "win" most often (by either doing work myself, or researching issue immensely), "loose" rarely, so I'm still ahead of averages. If you really like(d) this car (video reflects a beautiful car), get it fixed by Lyle's group back to a reliable car. Enjoy and love it once again. In Canada you'd be hard pressed to find such a C4. Cheers, and best of luck in your decision :-)
You are spot on Lyle! I know for a fact that a mechanic at the Dealership I have been going to for my work took at least 15min. to watch a TH-cam video on how to do a repair! After the Service Dept. charged me for the work I sought out the Mechanics name listed on the paper work and asked him about the job on my vehicle. He admitted to me that he had to watch a video on TH-cam to know how to do the repair! WHAT???? So yep, I paid that Mechanics time to watch a TH-cam video because the Dealership didn't have anyone there that knew how to work on my 2008 C6. Every time I make and appointment for service I write a letter with Win. Word with instructions on what I expect from them. One time I came home and couldn't get the lug nuts to budge, so, went back and raised H*** and told them they WILL hand torgue the lug nuts to 100 ft. lbs.. So, things like that I make sure to mention in the letter to the Service Dept. because in any court of law a letter signed by me is a legal document. I have joined a Corvette Club in my area that has fourth generation members that race in slow and fast slalom races for a National Standing in the NCCC organization. The Vice Pres. always brings equipment along on our Club Events planned through out the year. One such event a C5 developed a miss in the engine and it was determined that a cylinder coil had gone bad. I'm new to the club, although, am getting to know the members and will find such a Specialty shop as you described in this video, thanks Lyle!! Oh, I have an arrangement with the Dealership that after calling the parts dept. and getting the GM OEM part number I do a search on the internet and find the best price, or at least a part that is still in the GM packaging, and I purchase the part,, which is many x's cheaper than what the Dealership offers if any, and they just charge me the labor to install them. I don't have a garage or access to a lift to do the work myself, yet. That is why I have relied on the Dealership to do the work needed from time to time. Keep up the Good Work Lyle!
I really like Triflow. Highly recommended for vintage sewing machines, bicyles, and metal gates. It has ptfe which is teflon. Does not attract dirt. Holds up well in watery areas.
Man this is a horror story, and this video is excellent advice for pretty much anyone who has a car repair need. Start with an oil change and see how an independent shop or dealer preforms this repair then next repair allow them to do a bit more complex repair. Let them treat you with integrity or not. Don't be afraid to go to another shop. Get to know who it is that works on your car.
Good Video! Agree, it comes down to DRRCS. 1. D = DO it yourself if you can & be sure to know your limits. 2. R = If you can't do it yourself, become part of your local Corvette Community and find the local shops that do work on Corvettes and have a good REPUTATION. 3. R = Then build and maintain a RELATIONSHIP with your Corvette mechanic. 4. C= Communication. Be sure that both your and your mechanic communicate effectively with what your vehicle complaint is, what their diagnosis is, how much it will cost and if you are willing to spend the money, & timeframe for completion. 5. S= Steer clear of the dealership for older Corvettes. Generally, the older your Corvette is, the more you need to steer clear of a Dealership.
Great video (as always) Lyle! After seeing another of your past videos about supporting local Corvette (speciality) shops and working on our cars, I purposely drive well more than an hour (Houston, TX area) to a Corvette shop and pass probably 10+ Chevy dealers on the way. The Corvette shop is not perfect, but I do feel I am building a relationship with their Parts/Service Guys and the Mechanic who has worked on my 2006 C6 a few times now (since I bought it in August 2023). Hopefully these relationships will pay off in non-financial yet tangible ways for me and my car.
I hope you are going to tell us the problem with that car in another video. Bought a new Z07 back in 94, ran it all over Europe never had a problem then, sold it in 03 for about what i payed new
Wow! I'd like to see that itemized bill...yikes. What a travesty. You were right on about mechanics not being up to speed on the Corvette. Unless a particular dealer sells a lot of Corvettes, they're not going to have THAT GUY on staff. I hope you guys can save this man's Corvette for him. Maybe someone should start a Go Fund Me page 😃.
Before you even said it....I thought to myself, 1st mistake was going to a dealer....I was in the business for a little while and my buddy is still a mechanic of 40 years I can say you are 100% correct on everything you stated!
I'd just buy a good engine from the wrecking yard and install it. Then take the original and tear it down to see what's what. I've rebuilt 8 C5's from totals. A friend, Shirl Dickey, did 28 of them before he retired.
Yes C and S over bridge 25min away very fast response and honest about being booked out for a couple weeks. I wouldn’t have bought my 1989 C4 with my limited ability without their expertise. Even the guys at Survivor Classic Car in Palmetto where I purchased recommended. I see the necessity to find honest people when buying a classic for first time.
Great video as usual, I have a mechanic that I totally trust. I will do a lot of my own work on my vehicles, but as I get older, I bring it in. A good trustworthy mechanic is worth their weight in gold. Thanks!
I liked the GED comment, Lyle. Unfortunately it’s so true. Dealerships are all about the money and unfortunately so are some independent shops. Not sure if it’s possible to suit that dealer but lawyer fees would probably nix that.
Had a grapple truck that I was the operator on for a few years. One day it decided to go into limp mode and was running really rich. I figured it was the computer. Every time the truck would warm up, it would start the problem. On that truck the computer was mounted to the side of the engine. Months went by and 14k in parts alone got tossed at the truck… only for them to run out of options and submit to my crazy theory that the heat cycle of the engine was what was causing the computer to act up. Guess what it was… the computer. 😂.
I’ve been trying and so far failing to find a corvette shop in Oregon with the kind of ethos Lyle described in this video! Definitely hope I can find one for when the day comes that I can’t fix something myself… don’t want to be a corvette horror story!
Yup, living in Oregon and owning a Vett is a challenge. At times. I joined a Corvette club in hopes of finding likeminded owners who may have some helpful advice. Struck out on that. I do most things myself, but not having a lift can make some things a no-go. Went to a custom fab shop and they sell Chevy performance parts. But there go to shop turn out to be a rip off.3 months of, were still working on it. Oh, we found this or that and we'll get that done for ya. OK but I replaced those parts before I came here and there wasn't an issue. Came we go see what's going on. No, the cars across the street and the tech. is out sick today! So, on Monday I called the owner to meet me at the shop. Also called a tow truck to get my car, like magic my car was back in the lot and running just as rough as it did 3 months ago. They fixed the oil leak and tried to bill me for work not performed. and not approved. Yeah, there out there. I found an honest shop close to home that fixed a vacuum leak I couldn't find. It took them less than 15 minutes to find. Refreshing to know not all shops here are as bad as the two shops who wasted my time. The other shop wasn't any different than the one I mentioned. Thank goodness for folks like Lyle that never charged me for good advice on parts, and repair questions.
The guy should have gotten a rock solid estimate on both time and cost. If the car's not fixed in that time frame for that cost, get the hell outta dodge!
Oh yes, where I live we have a lot of wannabes. I have a thirty year old truck that whenever I take it in for repairs which is not very often, I swear the minute I leave the shop they park the car in a corner and work on it when they have time. Every f’n shop that I have been to does the same thing. Three months later and it gets finished. Never changes. I think I was born in the wrong era. The Wild West would be more my kind of life. Ha…
C4 & C5 and firebirds have that problem with the headline motors. I actually 3 or 4 years ago I replaced one of my headlight motors on my Firebird. And one of them was rebuilt.
What you said is true for any make of car unless it is under warranty. This case sounds like the water pump was leaking onto the optispark since he said it overheated. Should have been an easy fix but the dealership not having anyone knowledgeable on this car didn't know that. I've never owned a vette but that's the first thing I'd have checked. Now it may need a new motor because they screwed it up.
Excellent video Lyle. I have a good Corvette shop where I am but the guy that owns it is getting up there in age and he lost one of his 2 good mechanics. I wish more younger people wanted to go into this trade because you would never be unemployed and it can’t be exported. A good honest mechanic is like a surgeon. Maybe us that enjoy this sport could some how contribute to scholarships for corvette mechanics. That poor guy with the 95
Oh we exist just need a good teacher at the end of the day. The C4 is best bang for your buck and so its starting to become attractive to younger ppl. I have owned 2 and they're great cars pretty easy to work on nothing like a subaru
Sounds like the owner chose a bad shop. In my short 40 something years, I've come across many. Had a general repair/trans shop wanna charge me 1300 to run a new cooker line that bursted ( 330k miles).... I told them no. Still had to oay them almost 800 before I could have it towed 5 miles down the road , where a trans shop fixed it for 40 bucks.. would have been like 13 but they had to add more fluid or something to do with the previous shop I paid the 800. There are crooked people everywhere a decent person exists. Facts
Good video. And the advice is very good. Also. I did exactly what you said. I found a shop that knows Corvettes inside and out. Rays automotive center in Lakewood Washington. These guys have kept my '04 LeMans edition in perfect running order for 10 years. Plus. Very happy with these guys. And they do exactly what you explained. Thanks again for the video
That's is BS what yhey did to that owner. Luckily where I live there is a private small shop near me that specialize in Corvettes. I really hope you can fix that gentleman's 95 its very nice car. Lyle, is there any chance you'll do an update video on the 95 to let us know what the problem was with it? Thank you for all the great videos you make.
I was excited about buying a corvette to enjoy my retirement. Started watching you tube videos to see which year might be the best year to buy. Now I think I am going to consider another place to spend my money.😢
Most so-called techs working at franchise gm dealers weren't born when the c4s and some when the c5s came out. Most dealers threw out repair manuals so there is a lack of correct information. I know this for a fact as i worked in general motors dealers for over a 45 years. It is sad but true. Enjoy your corvette there is nothing like them anywhere.
Like for an example, Corvette ZR 1's. From 2009 to 2013. They discontinued the front splitter and the side skirts. And the wheel flares. That go in the back. And. Buy the sides skirts.
this is valuable lesson , for two reasons, both touched on here. Even the worst mechanic in town knows the going shop rates in the area, so you don't want to be paying the wrong guy about the same amount as one who does a good job. which brings me to the exact point of the video , only I learned it the hard way, "It's not how much you pay, it's who is doing the work that matters." I learned that phrase from a gear head cousin of mine while he showed me an old Rolls Royce sitting in his garage that he was planning to flip, all it needed was the upholstery done. It was one of those old ones where the driver sat out in the open, in front of a closed cab. when I questioned why he would agree to get on a two year waiting list to get his seats done, that was what he told me. It's not how much it costs, it's who is doing the work that is important. His guy had a two year wait, what ya gonna do. My hard luck learning curve doesn't matter now. Besides, it was only an MG "A", and I wouldn't want a bunch of guys all busted up emotionally and crying into their keyboards.
Lyle, your video's have been very helpful, but this may well be the most informative and down to earth one I've yet seen. Which is one reason why I have a 3 day appointment at your shop in March of next year.....
Thanks for your honesty.I have a C4 proyect car in my garage.Stopped working on it over 20 yrs. ago because I ran into a problem and being a perfectionist,I stopped working on it. I would take my car to your shop, but I live in Alaska.
Thee same holds true for taking your older Corvette to a collision repair shop after an accident over a shop that specializes in Corvettes or fiberglass repair. minor non structural damage in most regular collision shops will price the repair well beyond the insurance company's write off value and even though you have spent a considerable amount of time and money making your car nice the compensation you get won't come close.
I am a shop manager for an independent shop in Houston Tx , There is no reason that this mans Corvette should have been there for more than a month , and he should have been offered options since not only does the customer want his car fixed but may want to , since we have to open up the motor and do an RDI , receive options that can fulfill his dreams . and the best part of it is he can finance the repair . and have a great warranty as he leaves the shop !
I have a basic maintenance question. Went to the Firestone tire dealer the other day to have some rear tires put on and they told me my brake fluid needed to be changed out. Is there anything special about the Corvette breaking system that a shop such as that could vacuum my fluid out and replace it and me not have anything to worry about??
@@scottyoungberg8011 I don’t think you’re asking me, but I could probably answer your question more or less. I think brake fluid is like clutch fluid. In the fact it’s brake fluid. While goes over this and one of his videos about changing the clutch cylinder fluid. It needs to be changed every now and then because it gets contaminated with dirt and things like that. You probably could do yourself, but but I wouldn’t recommend it. Depending on how much the dealer wants to charge you, it might be a good thing to do. Ask him why you should change it. If he can’t come up with a reasonable answer, you might want to pass. However, brake fluid deteriorates with time, so depending it might be a good idea. Good luck.
Excellent video Lyle. That poor man. What a shame. We have a number a great shops in the Toronto area. But you also have to be well informed and do your research for self preservation. I other words don't get taken like this poor fellow.
my mechanic never had problem diagnosing mine and always inexpensive repairs, runs as good as new , especially in the 1/4 mile and 0 to 60 . always idles where should and runs at designed. he used to work at dealership during c4 days , but newer mechanics probably never worked on one
I have a 2019 Grandsport and because of what I’ve heard, even in my area, which is probably 60 miles away, I would not consider taking my car anywhere other than your shop, unless it was something that I could do myself ! PS. You are highly recommended !
The owner is simple minded for paying the dealership without fully inspecting the car. And you should call these crooked dealships out by name, perhaps it may make a difference.
Thank you for this informative video. I own a C5 convertible and a C6 Z51. I fell out with my local GM dealer in Ocala Florida. It took them 4 weeks to find out why my C6 wasn't starting. The initial estimate was $1200 after diagnostics. After 2 weeks they called me to say that they changed the parts that they thought would fix the problem but the car still wooldn't start. They wanted me to pay for another diagnostic plus whatever further parts and labour required to get the car to start. I asked to speak to the manager. I gave them 2 options. 1. I would pay the bill, then towe the car back home, and take them to court to reimburse me the $1200, because the car still wouldn't start. 2. They repair the car at no extra charge, since It already costed $1200.00. They chose option 2, but it took them another 2 weeks to find the "real" problen and fix it.
That's true. I used to take my 2002 Ford. Mustang to the dealer and a lot of stuff. They will tell me that it's discontinued. So they couldn't Fix my vehicle. It's like for an example, my 2002 Mustang had a broken brake line. And the 4 dealer told me that they couldn't find that a specific break line. And I told them what was the problem. And they told me that the problem was that part was just Discontinue A long time ago. So my car was in the Ford dealer For 5 days. I guess they were trying to look for the part. But they never found it.
My C7 has been at the dealer only for warranty work, then never again. I don’t even trust them for an oil change, I can easily seen them removing only one drain plug but still putting 9.5 quarts.
Enjoy watching all your episodes since I started following you at the shop I currently have a 1998 C5 Corvette that I just completely repainted, it was originally tortured from the factory somebody painted it flip-flop blue, and it flopped more than it flipped lol. So we took everything off of the car, all the fiberglass parts and repainted them candy, apple red with micro gold, flake in the red paint, which really pops in the sunlight. Sorry, this guy had to go through what he did so far. Hope you can help him somehow. Thanks for all your videos and I have used your recommendations on about everything there is to do to keep my car in tiptop condition.
How many of you have heard these lines: "Our corvette tech is out today", "our corvette tech is at lunch" or the ever popular "Our corvette tech is on vacation". The last dealer I used kept my C7 for 45 days to replace the torque converter. And they botched the reinstall so bad it wasn't funny. Cross threaded chassis bolts,broken AFM and Exhaust control solenoids not connected or connectors broken and last but not least, the fuel line wasn't secured and after a few months of rubbing against a bolt caused me to lose all my brake fluid.
Valuable information as I ponder purchasing a C4 after selling my C5! Question Lyle: If buying an out-of-town Vette and I want to have a mechanic look over the vehicle beforehand, do I trust someone the seller recommends or do I find someone on my own?
You are so right I've taken it to chevrolet dealers got charged even under warranty because I had to clear a code to get it home I took it to a high end repair shop they fixed it and never had a problem one of the mechanics had GM training on Corvettes though the C6s he was familiar enough that my C7 it was a wiring harness causing all the issues
Nice Doug reference, and nice C4! I've got a 1994 that looks almost exactly like that one. Long story, but I decided to take a big risk by purchasing this car sight unseen at a dealer several states away from where I lived. The carfax checked out, the car looked good from the requested videos, and the only reported issue was that it "sometimes doesn't start". Ok, doesn't seem too bad, I'll risk it and if I have to fix things then it's alright because I'm 24 and wanted to buy a fast car that I could learn to work on and develop some automotive skills. A month goes by and I get my car. It seems to run fine (starts up, idles very consistently). The trucker dropped it in a parking lot just 100 feet from my house, so I put it in 1st gear and took off. I approach a 4-way intersection and suddenly my 'vette doesn't stop when i push down on the pedal that stops the car (brake pedal, duh). Pedal sinks to the floor and I'm holding on for dear life--and I end up running the intersection. Thank GOD it's a backroad and nobody was there to get hurt. I'm freaking out and try to get home as slowly and safely as possible. When i get home I check the underside of the car and "WOW that's a lot of rust!" the brakelines have been so corroded that it looked like they were imploding on themselves. No brake fluid. None. Completely bone dry. How did the dealer test drive this?! So I go to a general car shop and they tell me to wrap some tape around the brake lines that have holes in them....I immediately knew that would probably get me killed almost as quickly as if I were driving the way my C4 already was. I didn't have money to pay someone for an entire brake line re-do so the next best fix was to temporarily install a brand new segmented line, cut the segment off that the old line had holes in, learn to flare, and then call it good for a while. It worked for a while actually, so I start to test drive it every few nights at low speeds around the quiet neighborhood to see what else I need to work on. Then it sputtered and died. "Oh this must just be the occasional starting problem i was told about" I thought. I tried cranking it quite a few times and it wouldn't do any more than cranking. I get my roommate to drive over and jumpstart it so I can get it back in the yard for some self-debriefing. We get it running and i park it in front of the house, and it immediately dies again. As a novice who still had some money to spare on a few parts, I just decided to throw parts left and right. New battery, new coil, new ICM, but nothing worked. "Alright maybe i should stop throwing parts at it and see what really was going on" turns out it was the Opti. Oh, and my brake lines were leaking again. And the gas tank had sediment in it. Spent a good chunk money and of this year replacing the Opti (w/ water pump and gaskets/seals, thanks Petris!) and the entire brake system from the cylinder, to the ABS, to the wheels. I can't say it was necessarily a horror story, because I learned a LOT from fixing up this once-abandoned machine, but it's an eventful story for me. While I still am working on fixing the fuel system, I'm almost done with it and being able to drive this 1994 next Spring will be one satisfying feeling. I can't recommend anyone else doing this unless you're really eager to learn the ins and outs in an intense fashion. Much love from Idaho! If I ever visit Florida someday, I will definitely pay you guys a visit.
I had a car in for an alignment, they said they weren't able to get it right, and I ended up with a hard pull to the left that wasn't there before. Was charged full price of $140 because shop said that even though they couldn't actually do a proper alignment, that they still put on their machine so I should pay full price... Go figure.
Hey Lyle, wow! that was painful. I'm sure you've seen this more than once. This is a subject that needs to be shown and explained, sadly. I get the 4 bad opti- fart bad parts issue. I have had more bad Delco new parts then after market. Not that I haven't had a cracked aftermarket part. I had the 3-month repair issue, but that was during covid, and even I couldn't find the parts. But if I didn't get a call that week I was at the shop or called to find out what's up. I pulled the car due to their lack of interest in finishing the work. Trying to pay the bill showed work that wasn't performed, or even disused to put on the bill. The comment when questioned was "Oh the tech must have missed that." That learning curve can be steep when your new to the state. I checked the online feedback, and it looked good. The second shop was even worse. 3 more months with half the work being done. The good was that work was O.K. But the shop had farmed out my car to another shop. so, when I went to see what was happening my car was MIA. That may have been why they wouldn't call me for an update. The 3rd shop that was a mile from my house, did what you described about a GOOD shop. Due to my car being a 90, none of the 2 Chevy dealers would have had parts let alone tech.'s to perform any work. At least they were up front about it. I hope the Dr. can find what's up for your customers vett.I was baffled be the repair work that was done. Thanks Lyle look forward to the next clip.
First mistake. I wouldn’t have given that dealer no $8,200 for something that doesn’t run. Second mistake. Still trying to keep that piece of crap. Should’ve taken that $8,200 and found a nice ‘03 and up C5.
Thats why I fix my own cars and only take it to a dealer when I literally can't fix it like last year when my c6 had a the battery drain problem that can only be fix with a GM computer
I have a Corvette shop that works on my 07 Corvette with 32,000 miles, it’s called classic Chevrolet Grapevine, Texas number one volume Chevrolet dealer in sales and service in the country. They did the shift linkage cable for $150 less than a specialty Corvette shop would do it for lol, they did my transmission oil and filter change for $100 and they let me supply my own GM filter and oil that I bought from a GM dealer that I have a account with at my 25% off and no tax discount. And when I do my first brake job at 40k I have already pre-bought the AC Delco brake pads and will have them install them, so they will make a no money on the parts. That is just the deal that I have with them.
Lyle you are a Honest Guy. I dont know how is the Finanzial Situation of this Guy with the red 95. But when he is on the Limit with his Money, how about making a Video with Croud Founding. I would spend 5$, and if everyone, who loves Corvette, and watch your Videos would do so, we could get this Red 95 to run again.
I had a 1996 Z/28. I blew up third year synchro and took it to the dealer under warranty. It’s sat for seven weeks while the part was sourced. They couldn’t get it. I told them I could’ve fixed it myself in that time! Stay away from dealers!
nice video....wish you or some-1 wood adrees the c-7-s manuel transm....weid feeling????i dunno???i hav a 19 zo6 manuel..shifts doo not feel right????prob..because trans. is in back of car????
Hey Lyle, whatever happened to the list of shops you were compiling last year. As a new Corvette owner I’m looking for a shop I can trust in the Phoenix area.
51 yr mechanic here
This engine overheating can really wreck a engine, bad. Even 1 time.
If you care about your engine, keep the cooling system in good shape and monitor the water temp.
If it starts to rise out of the blue, SHUT IT OFF IMMEDIATLY and find out why
DO NOT drive it hot even for a little bit.
True...AAA is only 80 bucks a year. I would have my Vette towed.
the block can get warped on an engine that over heat also.
Dealership quoted me 8k dollars to fix my 2015 6.2 Silverado LTZ 6.2l.
I did it myself for under 2k bucks. LS7 lifters and a BTR cam. I'm a old
School dragracer and I also own a 1990 ZR-1 that I work on myself. Never been in a LS based engine but I went for it and 11k miles later she is smooth as butter. Also installed a catch can. All I'm saying is if you think you can , do it yourself .
I feel bad for the owner , that was a complete rip off.
As owning a 64 Corvette, a car before sensors and codes. I'm finding the so-called shade tree mechanics that take better care of my car than even the overpriced specialized Corvette shops! Adjusting a carb is becoming a long forgotten art
No way im paying 8200 and the car isn’t perfect
he probably could of just put a new engine in it with that price
I used to own a shop and can tell you that is absolutely true. LS3? Yes!
He certainly could have done that for the same money. It is a real pity. Lyle
That was interesting but I really wanted to find out what was wrong and how you fixed it.
I can tell you personally that C&S Corvettes the place to be for vette owners. Lyle and the team are the best. They take care of your car as if its their own. I brought my C6 in to have them look at it for a vibration that i was feeling. Instead of seeting an appointment 3 months away they stopped what they were doing and took the car for a ride to diagnose it right there and then....For Free. Also while I was there they looked over the car for any issues that are common for these cars.
Lyle, you win the gold star for wanting to keep peace with the dealers but you know that we know many more Corvette war stories going way back! Unfortunately, not unusual for Service Manager to not have a clue about his teams skillset.
Blessed to have a local shop for the small items like oil changes and the like and two hour drive to C&S Corvette for those bigger needs! No dealerships ever for our 25 year old C5!
I agree, no dealerships for our C5's. I've had my own horror stories dealing with them and my C5 (I've owned 13 yrs now.) I used to think they know Corvettes inside & out! NOT!
@@lorigilbert3173 sadly most all dealerships are only focused on cars 6 years old or newer - in my own views/opinion - thx
I have owned Corvettes since I was 16 years old, I am now 74. I have had in all that time one Corvette mechanic that has done all my service and repairs on all my cars. He has worked for Chevy dealers for 40 years or so , working on Corvettes. No one touches my car but him.
I am sure that dealer pays him well and has a good list of Vette owners that come to him. Now that is a Vette owners friend. But that type dealer is few and far between.
If you must go to a dealer, find a CORVETTE dealer that happens to sell CARS & TRUCKS. Don't go to a CAR & TRUCK dealer that happens to also sell a few Vetts.
What shop? I'm in MA too.🤔
Sorry, he is retireing this spring.@@connor3288
When I was still working. One of my many task was taking care of maintenance and repairs on a fleet of vehicles. I dropped one of our company’s vehicles off at a shop for a repair. And asked if they were able to also work on a 94’ Vette. There answer was, “ It’s just like any other Chevy. “ Needless to say, I never let them work on my 94’. Lol
Finally the truth about Corvette service. Folks ,do not be fooled by a service garage that may have a Corvette in its bay or on its lot waiting for repair. I found the GM dealers are not any better. I have my own horror story about my 2002 that would take way too much typing to post here. There is not a mechanic in a dealership that understands a c4 or c5. I will get a bit crude here but this my analysis of the attitude these service centers. They will piss in your hand then swear to you it was rain. There is no C&S quality garage near me so now my mechanic of choice is You Tube. My recently purchased 2003 anniversary convertible is now serviced in my attached garage. I am not on a clock so I can take my time and get it right.
Obviously you're going to the wrong dealership. I have a 2001 convertible my co-worker has a two C6's; his driver making 700 HP at the wheels and his racer making 1200 HP at the wheels, so don't tell me we don't know how to fix Corvettes
@@andrewgkalipetis5867 You may be exceptionally skilled with a vette, but that’s way outside the norm. Good luck trying to convince us a dealership is a good option for a C4/5
Greetings from Minsk, Belarus! You still are the best among those, who gives so usefull information about Corvettes! Thanks a lot! With all my respect, Nick
Took my 10 year old 1990 Corvette to a dealership some years ago to replace a leaking heater core. They assured me their Corvette expert would be doing the work. It was a disaster the dash had a noticeable hump in the middle kind of "tent" look I refused to accept the car. They reworked the dash and it looked OK. Then I consulted my shop- manual and learned that the heater core should have been removed from the engine compartment no need to remove the dash at all. I would recommend consulting with your local Corvette club if there is one for recommendations.
I took an 87 vert with a no start problem to a local mom and pop. The problem was beyond them so they parked it out back in the dirt. It rained hard while it was there and splattered mud all over my new paint job. I went to the Corvette Forum where I learned how to diagnose the problem and fix it with a used part that was behind the dash. At least the shop only kept it for two days and only charged me a nominal fee.
What was the problem/fix?
@@connor3288 There is a module behind the dash that syncs with the chip in the key. I told Vette 2 Vette my key code and he tested a used one and sent it to me. Worked great.
Ridiculous. These horror stories are why I use an Indy if I can’t of course fix it myself. TY for getting these kind of stories out to those unexpected. 👍👍
The Real Problem is GM builds all of their vehicles only to last until the warranty Expires !
This is very believable as Dealers do charge a fortune to fix anything on even their brands. If you go to an independent shop you will get quoted a lesser bill but not that much less. Modern Corvettes are complicated on everything. And they all charge more just because it is a Corvette. I want a C6 so bad but prices refuse to go down over the years and if something major goes wrong you are up the creek.
Insane $8200 for nada. What a shame. very useful video, Lyle. so many important points here.
Dealerships are known as “stealerships” for a reason. Their main objective is selling cars and making profits on extra goodies which aren’t needed when you go to sign that contract.
I wouldn't have paid that bill. But since he aready paid, he can take the dealership to court because they have't repaired the car.
Dealership doesnt know the basics. Its all plug and play diagnostics now anyways
Ya Know they took the heads off and put them back on, that's alot of work, not 8200 bucks worth but....
I wonder if he REALLY Overheated it and had the oil boil and foam and had the oil pressure go to zero for awhile, that would destroy some internals
The sales, service, and parts department are independent of each other…. You wouldn’t believe the fighting behind the scenes !
Squeking wheels get the grease. He should have driven around and got the service writer to take a ride. I had an issue on my brand new Silverado in 1999. I first tried the dealer got nowhere. I went to GM corprate got stall tactics. Finally, I went to lacal new radio and they made a couple of phone calls and GM sent me to a different dealer for warranty work, and I got a $3000 refund from GM. However, it was a lot of work to stay in the fight! Thanks
Interested in knowing what is wrong with his C4.
I can relate to this story. Unless my car is under warranty, I don't go near a dealer. I have an '88 C4 I don't know what to do with. It has 216,000 miles and severely fails the California smog test. I know my way around these older cars. So, I chased the emissions issue and replaced all the usual suspects (EGR valve, solenoids, vacuum lines, etc.). Anyway, that was years ago and the C4 just sits in my garage wasting space. I'm retired and won't spend $6000 on an engine. I should just scrap the C4 out but my wife is so attached to it. It was her car back in the day. We bought it when it was just one year old in 1989.
Got an idea,,,move to another state that does not smother you with regulations.
Great video Lyle, truthfully there are no local shops in this area that are experienced enough to service the older Vette's, C&S being the exception. There are just not enough skilled mechanics with this knowledge. We are losing what few there are available to retirement and just being fed up with all the inherent difficulties in running a profitable shop! Terrible treatment that poor guy received. I have heard many complaints similar to this from dealer inexperience, not quite this drastic but they are out there. TD
Don't give up. Chalk it up to you "lost" this time. I work on laws of averages. And I "win" most often (by either doing work myself, or researching issue immensely), "loose" rarely, so I'm still ahead of averages. If you really like(d) this car (video reflects a beautiful car), get it fixed by Lyle's group back to a reliable car. Enjoy and love it once again. In Canada you'd be hard pressed to find such a C4. Cheers, and best of luck in your decision :-)
You are spot on Lyle! I know for a fact that a mechanic at the Dealership I have been going to for my work took at least 15min. to watch a TH-cam video on how to do a repair! After the Service Dept. charged me for the work I sought out the Mechanics name listed on the paper work and asked him about the job on my vehicle. He admitted to me that he had to watch a video on TH-cam to know how to do the repair! WHAT???? So yep, I paid that Mechanics time to watch a TH-cam video because the Dealership didn't have anyone there that knew how to work on my 2008 C6. Every time I make and appointment for service I write a letter with Win. Word with instructions on what I expect from them. One time I came home and couldn't get the lug nuts to budge, so, went back and raised H*** and told them they WILL hand torgue the lug nuts to 100 ft. lbs.. So, things like that I make sure to mention in the letter to the Service Dept. because in any court of law a letter signed by me is a legal document. I have joined a Corvette Club in my area that has fourth generation members that race in slow and fast slalom races for a National Standing in the NCCC organization. The Vice Pres. always brings equipment along on our Club Events planned through out the year.
One such event a C5 developed a miss in the engine and it was determined that a cylinder coil had gone bad. I'm new to the club, although, am getting to know the members and will find such a Specialty shop as you described in this video, thanks Lyle!! Oh, I have an arrangement with the Dealership that after calling the parts dept. and getting the GM OEM part number I do a search on the internet and find the best price, or at least a part that is still in the GM packaging, and I purchase the part,, which is many x's cheaper than what the Dealership offers if any, and they just charge me the labor to install them. I don't have a garage or access to a lift to do the work myself, yet. That is why I have relied on the Dealership to do the work needed from time to time. Keep up the Good Work Lyle!
I really like Triflow. Highly recommended for vintage sewing machines, bicyles, and metal gates. It has ptfe which is teflon. Does not attract dirt. Holds up well in watery areas.
Another good video.
Stopped by yesterday to say hello ... bought couple of t-shirts.... going back home tonight all the best from Canada.
Man this is a horror story, and this video is excellent advice for pretty much anyone who has a car repair need. Start with an oil change and see how an independent shop or dealer preforms this repair then next repair allow them to do a bit more complex repair. Let them treat you with integrity or not. Don't be afraid to go to another shop. Get to know who it is that works on your car.
Good Video! Agree, it comes down to DRRCS.
1. D = DO it yourself if you can & be sure to know your limits.
2. R = If you can't do it yourself, become part of your local Corvette Community and find the local shops that do work on Corvettes and have a good REPUTATION.
3. R = Then build and maintain a RELATIONSHIP with your Corvette mechanic.
4. C= Communication. Be sure that both your and your mechanic communicate effectively with what your vehicle complaint is, what their diagnosis is, how much it will cost and if you are willing to spend the money, & timeframe for completion.
5. S= Steer clear of the dealership for older Corvettes. Generally, the older your Corvette is, the more you need to steer clear of a Dealership.
Lyle, Your a awesome person. Thank you for being genuinely honest & not treating customers as a number. God bless you❤AMEN🙏 🇺🇲🍻😁👍
Great video (as always) Lyle! After seeing another of your past videos about supporting local Corvette (speciality) shops and working on our cars, I purposely drive well more than an hour (Houston, TX area) to a Corvette shop and pass probably 10+ Chevy dealers on the way. The Corvette shop is not perfect, but I do feel I am building a relationship with their Parts/Service Guys and the Mechanic who has worked on my 2006 C6 a few times now (since I bought it in August 2023). Hopefully these relationships will pay off in non-financial yet tangible ways for me and my car.
I hope you are going to tell us the problem with that car in another video. Bought a new Z07 back in 94, ran it all over Europe never had a problem then, sold it in 03 for about what i payed new
Wow! I'd like to see that itemized bill...yikes. What a travesty. You were right on about mechanics not being up to speed on the Corvette. Unless a particular dealer sells a lot of Corvettes, they're not going to have THAT GUY on staff. I hope you guys can save this man's Corvette for him. Maybe someone should start a Go Fund Me page 😃.
Lyle you do a great job explaining to people the common sense part of having an older corvette. That horror story is terrible.
Before you even said it....I thought to myself, 1st mistake was going to a dealer....I was in the business for a little while and my buddy is still a mechanic of 40 years I can say you are 100% correct on everything you stated!
I'd just buy a good engine from the wrecking yard and install it. Then take the original and tear it down to see what's what. I've rebuilt 8 C5's from totals. A friend, Shirl Dickey, did 28 of them before he retired.
Yes C and S over bridge 25min away very fast response and honest about being booked out for a couple weeks. I wouldn’t have bought my 1989 C4 with my limited ability without their expertise. Even the guys at Survivor Classic Car in Palmetto where I purchased recommended. I see the necessity to find honest people when buying a classic for first time.
Great video as usual, I have a mechanic that I totally trust. I will do a lot of my own work on my vehicles, but as I get older, I bring it in. A good trustworthy mechanic is worth their weight in gold. Thanks!
I liked the GED comment, Lyle. Unfortunately it’s so true. Dealerships are all about the money and unfortunately so are some independent shops. Not sure if it’s possible to suit that dealer but lawyer fees would probably nix that.
Had a grapple truck that I was the operator on for a few years. One day it decided to go into limp mode and was running really rich. I figured it was the computer. Every time the truck would warm up, it would start the problem. On that truck the computer was mounted to the side of the engine. Months went by and 14k in parts alone got tossed at the truck… only for them to run out of options and submit to my crazy theory that the heat cycle of the engine was what was causing the computer to act up. Guess what it was… the computer. 😂.
Great video... and great advice! I just wish I lived closer to Sarasota
I’ve been trying and so far failing to find a corvette shop in Oregon with the kind of ethos Lyle described in this video! Definitely hope I can find one for when the day comes that I can’t fix something myself… don’t want to be a corvette horror story!
Yup, living in Oregon and owning a Vett is a challenge. At times. I joined a Corvette club in hopes of finding likeminded owners who may have some helpful advice. Struck out on that. I do most things myself, but not having a lift can make some things a no-go. Went to a custom fab shop and they sell Chevy performance parts. But there go to shop turn out to be a rip off.3 months of, were still working on it. Oh, we found this or that and we'll get that done for ya. OK but I replaced those parts before I came here and there wasn't an issue. Came we go see what's going on. No, the cars across the street and the tech. is out sick today! So, on Monday I called the owner to meet me at the shop. Also called a tow truck to get my car, like magic my car was back in the lot and running just as rough as it did 3 months ago. They fixed the oil leak and tried to bill me for work not performed. and not approved. Yeah, there out there. I found an honest shop close to home that fixed a vacuum leak I couldn't find. It took them less than 15 minutes to find. Refreshing to know not all shops here are as bad as the two shops who wasted my time. The other shop wasn't any different than the one I mentioned. Thank goodness for folks like Lyle that never charged me for good advice on parts, and repair questions.
The guy should have gotten a rock solid estimate on both time and cost. If the car's not fixed in that time frame for that cost, get the hell outta dodge!
Oh yes, where I live we have a lot of wannabes. I have a thirty year old truck that whenever I take it in for repairs which is not very often, I swear the minute I leave the shop they park the car in a corner and work on it when they have time. Every f’n shop that I have been to does the same thing. Three months later and it gets finished. Never changes. I think I was born in the wrong era. The Wild West would be more my kind of life. Ha…
C4 & C5 and firebirds have that problem with the headline motors. I actually 3 or 4 years ago I replaced one of my headlight motors on my Firebird. And one of them was rebuilt.
Why on Gods green earth would anyone take a '95 vehicle into a dealer ???
What you said is true for any make of car unless it is under warranty.
This case sounds like the water pump was leaking onto the optispark since he said it overheated. Should have been an easy fix but the dealership not having anyone knowledgeable on this car didn't know that.
I've never owned a vette but that's the first thing I'd have checked.
Now it may need a new motor because they screwed it up.
Excellent video Lyle. I have a good Corvette shop where I am but the guy that owns it is getting up there in age and he lost one of his 2 good mechanics. I wish more younger people wanted to go into this trade because you would never be unemployed and it can’t be exported. A good honest mechanic is like a surgeon. Maybe us that enjoy this sport could some how contribute to scholarships for corvette mechanics. That poor guy with the 95
Oh we exist just need a good teacher at the end of the day. The C4 is best bang for your buck and so its starting to become attractive to younger ppl. I have owned 2 and they're great cars pretty easy to work on nothing like a subaru
@@alexl9334 I have a C4 with the L98 I love it easy to work on.
Young people aren't afraid of the trades. They're simply unwilling to work harder for the same money they could get at an easier job.
@@hakrsakr Life is like a sewer. What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it.
@@hakrsakr you can’t blame them.
Another BIG thx for the education 😎
Excellent video..!!
Sounds like the owner chose a bad shop. In my short 40 something years, I've come across many. Had a general repair/trans shop wanna charge me 1300 to run a new cooker line that bursted ( 330k miles).... I told them no. Still had to oay them almost 800 before I could have it towed 5 miles down the road , where a trans shop fixed it for 40 bucks.. would have been like 13 but they had to add more fluid or something to do with the previous shop I paid the 800. There are crooked people everywhere a decent person exists. Facts
Good video. And the advice is very good. Also. I did exactly what you said. I found a shop that knows Corvettes inside and out. Rays automotive center in Lakewood Washington. These guys have kept my '04 LeMans edition in perfect running order for 10 years. Plus. Very happy with these guys. And they do exactly what you explained. Thanks again for the video
That's is BS what yhey did to that owner. Luckily where I live there is a private small shop near me that specialize in Corvettes. I really hope you can fix that gentleman's 95 its very nice car. Lyle, is there any chance you'll do an update video on the 95 to let us know what the problem was with it? Thank you for all the great videos you make.
I was excited about buying a corvette to enjoy my retirement. Started watching you tube videos to see which year might be the best year to buy. Now I think I am going to consider another place to spend my money.😢
Most so-called techs working at franchise gm dealers weren't born when the c4s and some when the c5s came out. Most dealers threw out repair manuals so there is a lack of correct information. I know this for a fact as i worked in general motors dealers for over a 45 years. It is sad but true. Enjoy your corvette there is nothing like them anywhere.
Like for an example, Corvette ZR 1's. From 2009 to 2013. They discontinued the front splitter and the side skirts. And the wheel flares. That go in the back. And. Buy the sides skirts.
Happy Thanksgiving buddy
this is valuable lesson , for two reasons, both touched on here. Even the worst mechanic in town knows the going shop rates in the area, so you don't want to be paying the wrong guy about the same amount as one who does a good job. which brings me to the exact point of the video , only I learned it the hard way, "It's not how much you pay, it's who is doing the work that matters."
I learned that phrase from a gear head cousin of mine while he showed me an old Rolls Royce sitting in his garage that he was planning to flip, all it needed was the upholstery done. It was one of those old ones where the driver sat out in the open, in front of a closed cab. when I questioned why he would agree to get on a two year waiting list to get his seats done, that was what he told me. It's not how much it costs, it's who is doing the work that is important. His guy had a two year wait, what ya gonna do. My hard luck learning curve doesn't matter now. Besides, it was only an MG "A", and I wouldn't want a bunch of guys all busted up emotionally and crying into their keyboards.
Lyle, your video's have been very helpful, but this may well be the most informative and down to earth one I've yet seen. Which is one reason why I have a 3 day appointment at your shop in March of next year.....
Thanks for your honesty.I have a C4 proyect car in my garage.Stopped working on it over 20 yrs. ago because I ran into a problem and being a perfectionist,I stopped working on it.
I would take my car to your shop, but I live in Alaska.
Thee same holds true for taking your older Corvette to a collision repair shop after an accident over a shop that specializes in Corvettes or fiberglass repair. minor non structural damage in most regular collision shops will price the repair well beyond the insurance company's write off value and even though you have spent a considerable amount of time and money making your car nice the compensation you get won't come close.
I am a shop manager for an independent shop in Houston Tx , There is no reason that this mans Corvette should have been there for more than a month , and he should have been offered options since not only does the customer want his car fixed but may want to , since we have to open up the motor and do an RDI , receive options that can fulfill his dreams . and the best part of it is he can finance the repair . and have a great warranty as he leaves the shop !
Finance the repair lol lol
I’m in Houston. What’s the name of your shop?
Who knows what the true story is unless you here it from the shop and owner
I have a basic maintenance question. Went to the Firestone tire dealer the other day to have some rear tires put on and they told me my brake fluid needed to be changed out. Is there anything special about the Corvette breaking system that a shop such as that could vacuum my fluid out and replace it and me not have anything to worry about??
@@scottyoungberg8011 I don’t think you’re asking me, but I could probably answer your question more or less. I think brake fluid is like clutch fluid. In the fact it’s brake fluid. While goes over this and one of his videos about changing the clutch cylinder fluid. It needs to be changed every now and then because it gets contaminated with dirt and things like that. You probably could do yourself, but but I wouldn’t recommend it. Depending on how much the dealer wants to charge you, it might be a good thing to do. Ask him why you should change it. If he can’t come up with a reasonable answer, you might want to pass. However, brake fluid deteriorates with time, so depending it might be a good idea. Good luck.
Excellent video Lyle. That poor man. What a shame.
We have a number a great shops in the Toronto area.
But you also have to be well informed and do your research for self preservation. I other words don't get taken like this poor fellow.
It's all out crazy fixing these cars
The problem is finding a speciality shop within 60 miles from home. GS17Z07.
my mechanic never had problem diagnosing mine and always inexpensive repairs, runs as good as new , especially in the 1/4 mile and 0 to 60 . always idles where should and runs at designed.
he used to work at dealership during c4 days , but newer mechanics probably never worked on one
I have a 2019 Grandsport and because of what I’ve heard, even in my area, which is probably 60 miles away, I would not consider taking my car anywhere other than your shop, unless it was something that I could do myself !
PS. You are highly recommended !
Great advice, rough story for sure. I'm bought in now, I hope to hear the outcome and see that thing hit the streets again.
The owner is simple minded for paying the dealership without fully inspecting the car. And you should call these crooked dealships out by name, perhaps it may make a difference.
I wouldn't have paid that dealership a dime.
Thank you for this informative video. I own a C5 convertible and a C6 Z51.
I fell out with my local GM dealer in Ocala Florida. It took them 4 weeks to find out why my C6 wasn't starting. The initial estimate was $1200 after diagnostics. After 2 weeks they called me to say that they changed the parts that they thought would fix the problem but the car still wooldn't start. They wanted me to pay for another diagnostic plus whatever further parts and labour required to get the car to start. I asked to speak to the manager. I gave them 2 options. 1. I would pay the bill, then towe the car back home, and take them to court to reimburse me the $1200, because the car still wouldn't start. 2. They repair the car at no extra charge, since It already costed $1200.00. They chose option 2, but it took them another 2 weeks to find the "real" problen and fix it.
That's true. I used to take my 2002 Ford. Mustang to the dealer and a lot of stuff. They will tell me that it's discontinued. So they couldn't Fix my vehicle. It's like for an example, my 2002 Mustang had a broken brake line. And the 4 dealer told me that they couldn't find that a specific break line. And I told them what was the problem. And they told me that the problem was that part was just Discontinue A long time ago. So my car was in the Ford dealer For 5 days. I guess they were trying to look for the part. But they never found it.
My C7 has been at the dealer only for warranty work, then never again. I don’t even trust them for an oil change, I can easily seen them removing only one drain plug but still putting 9.5 quarts.
What happened to the car? Did it get fixed?
Enjoy watching all your episodes since I started following you at the shop I currently have a 1998 C5 Corvette that I just completely repainted, it was originally tortured from the factory somebody painted it flip-flop blue, and it flopped more than it flipped lol. So we took everything off of the car, all the fiberglass parts and repainted them candy, apple red with micro gold, flake in the red paint, which really pops in the sunlight. Sorry, this guy had to go through what he did so far. Hope you can help him somehow. Thanks for all your videos and I have used your recommendations on about everything there is to do to keep my car in tiptop condition.
Great advice
Thankyou for sharing your experience = lts Refreshing
How many of you have heard these lines: "Our corvette tech is out today", "our corvette tech is at lunch" or the ever popular "Our corvette tech is on vacation". The last dealer I used kept my C7 for 45 days to replace the torque converter. And they botched the reinstall so bad it wasn't funny. Cross threaded chassis bolts,broken AFM and Exhaust control solenoids not connected or connectors broken and last but not least, the fuel line wasn't secured and after a few months of rubbing against a bolt caused me to lose all my brake fluid.
How do we find a list of reputable Corvette shops? Is there a national registry among shop owners?
Any year corvette can go through this type of story
Valuable information as I ponder purchasing a C4 after selling my C5! Question Lyle: If buying an out-of-town Vette and I want to have a mechanic look over the vehicle beforehand, do I trust someone the seller recommends or do I find someone on my own?
You are so right I've taken it to chevrolet dealers got charged even under warranty because I had to clear a code to get it home I took it to a high end repair shop they fixed it and never had a problem one of the mechanics had GM training on Corvettes though the C6s he was familiar enough that my C7 it was a wiring harness causing all the issues
Excellent advice for the non-expert enthusiasts.
Nice Doug reference, and nice C4! I've got a 1994 that looks almost exactly like that one.
Long story, but I decided to take a big risk by purchasing this car sight unseen at a dealer several states away from where I lived. The carfax checked out, the car looked good from the requested videos, and the only reported issue was that it "sometimes doesn't start". Ok, doesn't seem too bad, I'll risk it and if I have to fix things then it's alright because I'm 24 and wanted to buy a fast car that I could learn to work on and develop some automotive skills.
A month goes by and I get my car. It seems to run fine (starts up, idles very consistently). The trucker dropped it in a parking lot just 100 feet from my house, so I put it in 1st gear and took off. I approach a 4-way intersection and suddenly my 'vette doesn't stop when i push down on the pedal that stops the car (brake pedal, duh). Pedal sinks to the floor and I'm holding on for dear life--and I end up running the intersection. Thank GOD it's a backroad and nobody was there to get hurt. I'm freaking out and try to get home as slowly and safely as possible. When i get home I check the underside of the car and "WOW that's a lot of rust!" the brakelines have been so corroded that it looked like they were imploding on themselves. No brake fluid. None. Completely bone dry. How did the dealer test drive this?!
So I go to a general car shop and they tell me to wrap some tape around the brake lines that have holes in them....I immediately knew that would probably get me killed almost as quickly as if I were driving the way my C4 already was. I didn't have money to pay someone for an entire brake line re-do so the next best fix was to temporarily install a brand new segmented line, cut the segment off that the old line had holes in, learn to flare, and then call it good for a while.
It worked for a while actually, so I start to test drive it every few nights at low speeds around the quiet neighborhood to see what else I need to work on. Then it sputtered and died. "Oh this must just be the occasional starting problem i was told about" I thought. I tried cranking it quite a few times and it wouldn't do any more than cranking. I get my roommate to drive over and jumpstart it so I can get it back in the yard for some self-debriefing. We get it running and i park it in front of the house, and it immediately dies again. As a novice who still had some money to spare on a few parts, I just decided to throw parts left and right. New battery, new coil, new ICM, but nothing worked. "Alright maybe i should stop throwing parts at it and see what really was going on" turns out it was the Opti. Oh, and my brake lines were leaking again. And the gas tank had sediment in it.
Spent a good chunk money and of this year replacing the Opti (w/ water pump and gaskets/seals, thanks Petris!) and the entire brake system from the cylinder, to the ABS, to the wheels. I can't say it was necessarily a horror story, because I learned a LOT from fixing up this once-abandoned machine, but it's an eventful story for me. While I still am working on fixing the fuel system, I'm almost done with it and being able to drive this 1994 next Spring will be one satisfying feeling. I can't recommend anyone else doing this unless you're really eager to learn the ins and outs in an intense fashion. Much love from Idaho! If I ever visit Florida someday, I will definitely pay you guys a visit.
I had a car in for an alignment, they said they weren't able to get it right, and I ended up with a hard pull to the left that wasn't there before. Was charged full price of $140 because shop said that even though they couldn't actually do a proper alignment, that they still put on their machine so I should pay full price... Go figure.
Hey Lyle, wow! that was painful. I'm sure you've seen this more than once. This is a subject that needs to be shown and explained, sadly. I get the 4 bad opti- fart bad parts issue. I have had more bad Delco new parts then after market. Not that I haven't had a cracked aftermarket part. I had the 3-month repair issue, but that was during covid, and even I couldn't find the parts. But if I didn't get a call that week I was at the shop or called to find out what's up. I pulled the car due to their lack of interest in finishing the work. Trying to pay the bill showed work that wasn't performed, or even disused to put on the bill. The comment when questioned was "Oh the tech must have missed that." That learning curve can be steep when your new to the state. I checked the online feedback, and it looked good. The second shop was even worse. 3 more months with half the work being done. The good was that work was O.K. But the shop had farmed out my car to another shop. so, when I went to see what was happening my car was MIA. That may have been why they wouldn't call me for an update. The 3rd shop that was a mile from my house, did what you described about a GOOD shop. Due to my car being a 90, none of the 2 Chevy dealers would have had parts let alone tech.'s to perform any work. At least they were up front about it. I hope the Dr. can find what's up for your customers vett.I was baffled be the repair work that was done. Thanks Lyle look forward to the next clip.
First mistake. I wouldn’t have given that dealer no $8,200 for something that doesn’t run. Second mistake. Still trying to keep that piece of crap. Should’ve taken that $8,200 and found a nice ‘03 and up C5.
Thats why I fix my own cars and only take it to a dealer when I literally can't fix it like last year when my c6 had a the battery drain problem that can only be fix with a GM computer
LS-swap it for him, Lyle! He'll have a better car and it won't break the bank. It would be a shame to part out a pretty car like that.
I have a Corvette shop that works on my 07 Corvette with 32,000 miles, it’s called classic Chevrolet Grapevine, Texas number one volume Chevrolet dealer in sales and service in the country. They did the shift linkage cable for $150 less than a specialty Corvette shop would do it for lol, they did my transmission oil and filter change for $100 and they let me supply my own GM filter and oil that I bought from a GM dealer that I have a account with at my 25% off and no tax discount. And when I do my first brake job at 40k I have already pre-bought the AC Delco brake pads and will have them install them, so they will make a no money on the parts. That is just the deal that I have with them.
Could the timing chain jumped gears? If all the external fuel and ignition parts where checked.
Lyle you are a Honest Guy.
I dont know how is the Finanzial Situation of this Guy with the red 95.
But when he is on the Limit with his Money, how about making a Video with Croud Founding.
I would spend 5$, and if everyone, who loves Corvette, and watch your Videos would do so, we could get this Red 95 to run again.
I recommend anyone find someone in their area who works on Vettes. Leave the dealers alone!
I had a 1996 Z/28. I blew up third year synchro and took it to the dealer under warranty. It’s sat for seven weeks while the part was sourced. They couldn’t get it. I told them I could’ve fixed it myself in that time! Stay away from dealers!
Never go to the dealer. Don't pay if not fixed
Not all dealers are "stealerships" I have a good one near me
Ouch!
nice video....wish you or some-1 wood adrees the c-7-s manuel transm....weid feeling????i dunno???i hav a 19 zo6 manuel..shifts doo not feel right????prob..because trans. is in back of car????
Give me more details about what you are experiencing, and maybe I can help...those are not usually problematic. Lyle
The Chevy dealer near me won’t work on my car (96 corvette). Thank god.
Hey Lyle, whatever happened to the list of shops you were compiling last year. As a new Corvette owner I’m looking for a shop I can trust in the Phoenix area.
Check those multec injectors they go bad and todays fuels eat at the rubber and they gum up. Its possible its a transmission issue as well
The Stealership got him. Wow.
Definitely heard some bad things about the Corvette oppispark system