Any 05'ers out there?

[Patrick N.]

I'm happy to say I just acquired a 2005 Z51 equipped car to the list. 4,200 miles on the car! having so much fun with the newer ride. Anything to watch for on 2005's
Thanks again,
Pat

[Edward J.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Pat, Drive and enjoy as you have, keep a tender on battery when not in use, It seems there thirsty when not using. With such little mileage you likely won't have to worry about to much. What ever you hear take it with a grain of salt, as no two cars are the same. and The general did not make perfect cars. but a lot of refinement over the years, each year gets better. Where else can you have 430+ horsepower and get upwards 26+ miles per gallon.

[Vinnie P.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

IIRC it MUST be in reverse when you shut it down. Otherwise you'll end up with a completely dead battery...and even if sometimes you think it's all the way in reverse it may not be and may still drain the battery...

[Thomas H.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Pat,

I had a Lemans Blue 2005, MN6, Z51, titanium interior and every option. I loved it! I was the second owner and bought it with just under 17k miles in 2010. The car was spotless, never driven in bad weather. I sold it last May to offset the cost of the Lemans Blue 2007 Z06 with 3500 miles I bought last March. (Notice a theme with color................)

A few things I learned about the 2005:

Dispite some nay sayers, they are very reliable cars. Just remember to put it in reverse when you shut it off otherwise the battery will drain.

If you have the solid roof, check it for delamination. Lift up on the forward edge and see if it separates from the frame. If it does, then you'll need to look into getting it replaced. The early roofs were made from a black colored material and the glue that was used to secure them to the roof frame was not compatible with the material (or something like that). You can pull back some of the headliner and if you see black then you have a suspect roof. They later changed to a white material for the roof panel and those were not susceptible to delamination.

Another thing I would suggest is to contact your favorite Chevy dealer and ask them to run the VIN to see what service bulletins were performed on the car. There were a few that should be done and some that are not really necessary. I was lucky in that I have a great Chevy dealer and Corvette tech I deal with and was able to have both C6's updated as necessary. If you take the car to an experienced Corvette tech also ask them to check the rear axle nuts. They tend to need to be retorqued over time. Your car, having low mileage may not be a problem.

If you really want to experience the car at it's best, sign up for a High Performance Driving Experience and take the car to a track. I did it with mine and learned so much about the car and myself with just one day of 5 track sessions. The car performed flawlessly and got almost 20mpg for the day to boot!

Enjoy!

Tom

[Richard M.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Patrick........Congrats! The C6 is a great Corvette. The guys have given good info. Yes a GMVIS report is a good idea showing service history is a good idea.

I will add this about the tires since the car has so few miles. Are they the original EMT(run-flats)? If so they're 8+ years old now so be wary of them. Also keep in mind typical wear on GY EMT's runs out at around 12k-14k miles.

I bought a '07 Z51 3LT coupe in '08 and can't seem to get enough of it. I drive it everywhere. Bought with 28k miles and original EMT's were already replaced with Toyo's, probably with 5k+ miles on them. Got 28k+ miles out of those and just put 3rd set of tires on it, at 56k miles. Bridgestone Potenza's and they're great tire & good value.

Also, if you're into original window stickers and build sheets, if you don't have them, the NCM website has access to get them for your car. They may have the actual hand written build sheet as well if you ask. I got the set for mine.

Rich

[Patrick N.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Thanks Guys! great feedback and advice. I am really enjoying the car even though I've only had it since Thursday. I bought it from the guys @ allvette- they are a couple miles from where i live so I got to check the car out. I had a great experience with them. The car has 08 rims on it with aftermarket exhaust but stock beyond that. It is automatic, which , ideally i was looking for a manual but I'm fine with that.

I did check for the delamination recall and seems to be ok. I will run the VIN to see service records- great advice.
The tires have meat but they are 8+ years. I will take the advice and do some shopping before I really get out there with it.

I have to say, I feel much more relaxed taking my kids out in the 05 than in the 88 (no air bags).

[Peter M.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

If the air bag lite comes on and the dealer tells you they need to take the steering column apart ask what the code is. In my case they took drivers side airbag code to mean steering wheel rather than drivers side airbag meaning seat. Two different dealers told me the same thing, when I did an internet search of the code I found the troubleshooting chart calling for the seat airbag. As others have said check for service bulletins. If you store the car or unhook the battery leave the wind down a little or you won't be able to open the door manually because the windows index every time the door closes. If you have a good dealer you are lucky. Great performance and fuel economy but it's not an old one.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

I bought it from the guys @ allvette- they are a couple miles from where i live so I got to check the car out. I had a great experience with them.

Ok, small world time.......... I bought my 05 from Lou at the same facility although I don't believe he called it "allvette.net" at the time and this was prior to his move to West Chester. At the timeI bought he was in a small facility in Conshohocken right where the Blue Route meets the Schuylkill expressway.

If you are not already, consider joining the Delaware Valley Chapter. We meet at Lu Lu Shriners in Ft Washington / Blue Bell area.

Tom

[Patrick N.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Ok, small world time.......... I bought my 05 from Lou at the same facility although I don't believe he called it "allvette.net" at the time and this was prior to his move to West Chester. At the timeI bought he was in a small facility in Conshohocken right where the Blue Route meets the Schuylkill expressway.

If you are not already, consider joining the Delaware Valley Chapter. We meet at Lu Lu Shriners in Ft Washington / Blue Bell area.

Tom

Too funny Tom. I met Lou and bought from Rick. Ft Washington is not that far either, I will look into the chapter- thanks.

[Patrick N.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

If the air bag lite comes on and the dealer tells you they need to take the steering column apart ask what the code is. In my case they took drivers side airbag code to mean steering wheel rather than drivers side airbag meaning seat. Two different dealers told me the same thing, when I did an internet search of the code I found the troubleshooting chart calling for the seat airbag. As others have said check for service bulletins. If you store the car or unhook the battery leave the wind down a little or you won't be able to open the door manually because the windows index every time the door closes. If you have a good dealer you are lucky. Great performance and fuel economy but it's not an old one.

Thanks for the heads up Peter on the airbags and windows - hope I don't have an issue but that is GREAT info to know. Thanks again.

[David K.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

I have an 08 Z06 and absolutley love it. Fun car to drive. It is the fastest street car and best gas mileage car I have ever owned all wrapped in one package. I have heard for a number of years to put car in reverse when parked to save the battery. My question is how does this save the battery? Maybe I am missing the obvious but I don't understand why reverse would be any different than any other gear. This of course is assuming the car is a manual transmission. I suppose if the car is an automatic there is nothing that can be done to prolong battery life short of a battery tender. I had 4 C5's before this C6 and know these cars are notorious for draining batteries. That is why I always keep the car on a battery tender. Just curious.


Dave

[Peter M.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Actually you must put the car in reverse "and" apply the parking brake or when you shut the car off if stays in accessory mode which will drain the battery. I am not sure but I believe it was 2005 only. (Manual trans)Regards

[David K.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

Peter,

Thanks. Did not know that was confined to the 2005 cars. Wonder why that was designed into the car? I also always use the parking brake because that allows the drivers seat to slide back for easier exit.

Dave

[Thomas H.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

I have an 08 Z06 and absolutley love it. Fun car to drive. It is the fastest street car and best gas mileage car I have ever owned all wrapped in one package. I have heard for a number of years to put car in reverse when parked to save the battery. My question is how does this save the battery? Maybe I am missing the obvious but I don't understand why reverse would be any different than any other gear. This of course is assuming the car is a manual transmission. I suppose if the car is an automatic there is nothing that can be done to prolong battery life short of a battery tender. I had 4 C5's before this C6 and know these cars are notorious for draining batteries. That is why I always keep the car on a battery tender. Just curious.


Dave

The reverse requirement for the C6 only applies to the 2005 model year with a manual transmission. There are several on board computers and that continue to run unless the car is put into reverse after the ignition is shut off. There is a sensor that detects the ignition is off and the car is in reverse. The computers will then shut down.

Funny, I heard a lot of people complain and say how stupid it is to have to put it into reverse. Well, in order to remove the key from my 71, guess what, you have to put it in reverse. I also owned a 79 Z28 that required you to put it in reverse to remove the key. No computers in those cars.......... I even put the Z06 in reverse when I park it, just habit now I suppose.

Tom

[Terry M.]

Re: Any 05'ers out there?

I have an 08 Z06 and absolutley love it. Fun car to drive. It is the fastest street car and best gas mileage car I have ever owned all wrapped in one package. I have heard for a number of years to put car in reverse when parked to save the battery. My question is how does this save the battery? Maybe I am missing the obvious but I don't understand why reverse would be any different than any other gear. This of course is assuming the car is a manual transmission. I suppose if the car is an automatic there is nothing that can be done to prolong battery life short of a battery tender. I had 4 C5's before this C6 and know these cars are notorious for draining batteries. That is why I always keep the car on a battery tender. Just curious.


Dave

Dave,
I believe Pete is right in that the "put it in Reverse and parking brake on" is a 2005 necessity. There is no such requirement for your 2008. After years of C3 driving with the mechanical interlock between the ignition lock and reverse gear, it has become a habit for me that I find hard to break, but it is not necessary for 2008.

On my 2008 I have found it necessary to be sure I actually have the ignition turned off as opposed to in the accessory mode. It is not so easy for me to be sure which mode it is in, and a dead battery has been the result several times.