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Comments
to start with a Miata. Makes you learn momentum since you don't want to brake
when you figure out how hard it is to get back the speed. Glad I started with the
C5
that was what it took to get me past blasting down straights and muffing the
corners.
What is the year of the car and how many miles? (They made several 'commemorative' Corvettes. I don't know the years of any of them.
Anyway, Chevy is going to say that if you are burning a quart in 1200 miles or more, 'It's normal.'.
But I'm still unsure of the problem.
If you asking about the Oil Pressure, then 35psi is ok. At cold startup, it might be expected to be somewhat higher, on a newer auto, in the 40 to 45psi range. But 35psi at idle is ok. Low oil pressure would be down below 10psi or so.
'Guage showed half full'? Don't understand this. Are you talking about the dipstick? And it's down a half quart, or what?
A 2003 Corvette probably has a sensor that tells you when the Oil Level is low. This usually comes on when you are more than 1 quart low. It should say something like 'Check Oil Level'. Pulling the oil dipstick under the hood should verify a low oil level. There are marks on the oil dipstick. The top mark is the 'Full' mark. The lower mark usually means it is 1 quart low.
If you don't know how to check the dipstick, then I suggest taking the car to a dealer. Having them check the oil and maybe add a quart should not be more than $40/$50 - about one full tank of gasoline. And for this little amount, you will get someone with knowledge. And you don't want to mess up a Z06 for $50....
It has the regular 5.7 engine and I was told by the dealer that sold it to me that it is good to have that model because the Z06 has solid lifters and is better suited for the track than for the street.
I occurs to me that the more power the engine delivers usually will shorten the engine life because of extra strain on all of it's moving parts although I believe if the engine is beefed up it should last at least 150,000 miles before a major overhaul.
The former owner of my car told me that the C5 is a car that should be driven hard and it will deliver all the power you would want within certain restraints.
As with most things attributed to dealers, consider the source. This is nonsense.
Both cars work fine on the street or the track. As for the drive it hard, that is just
about equally as lame. Current cars will easily last over 150k miles and that is
true if you baby it or drive it hard. It may have more service issues, I know, if you
drive it hard but it will still last. We have 2 C5's at home, mine has over 100k miles
and of those better than 10k were done on track. With over a 100 track days that
saw the car at close to redline 4-6 times per lap for 10 to 15 laps, 4 -5 times per
day that is a huge amout of heat and wear, it is still my daily driver. The wife's
has 37k miles and still has the OEM rear GY tires, and everything else on the
car with the exception of the oil filter, changed with the oil about every 6 months.
Just enjoy the car, they are fun. What will come up at some point is electrical
issues with the wheel speed sensors, the contacts can become dirty or corroded
and it shows up as service ABS, Active Handling or Traction Control systems.
More likely if you drive in all weather. Some dealers will try to replace the systems
before checking the wheel sensors since the code points to the system.
Randy