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Corrosive
Correction: C5 Battery Box Fix
The
current-box on our C5 was eating our car alive!
By
Andrew Bolig
Photography:
Andy Bolig
When we talk
about battery problems, we almost automatically conjure up images of
slow-cranking engines or the disheartening view of all the indicator
lights going from dim to dark the instant you try to start the car.
Granted, batteries can be stealthy saboteurs, operating perfectly
until they hit us with the silent treatment. Determined not to
communicate with the starter anymore and equally resolved to pay no
attention to the alternator, they make a show of force (usually at
the most inconvenient time) that they are totally independent of the rest
of the vehicle. This obvious defection from the team immediately
warrants a replacement with another battery that's all too happy for
the opportunity. Sometimes, though, we aren't lucky enough to have a
blatant battery insurrection.
While at the
Corvette Clinic, a '98 came in with what seemed to be an HVAC
problem. There was no control of defrost, heat, or vent positions
inside the car. The Clinic did some diagnostic sleuthing and found
that the system did not have a supply of vacuum to operate the valves.
What do the vacuum system and electrical system have in common on a
C5? Follow along and we'll show you.
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1.
This was our first clue that bad things were on the horizon. The
battery side terminals were leaking acid. You can see how the
battery acid was running down the frame of the car, all too ready
to claim its next victim. Our first step was to wash the area
thoroughly with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid.
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