Last time I refreshed this column I said I hoped to have pictures of a fix on my C5.  What happened to the Vette was the oil pressure switch, or to us old timers, the oil pressure sending unit failed.  On the C5’s, this switch is hidden under the cowl overhang on the back of the block where the distributor use to be.  There is no access to this switch other than removing the intake manifold.

The intake cannot be lifted up and out because of the cowl overhang and several other things need to be removed to slide the intake forward.  Someone tried drilling a hole through the cowl overhang with a large-hole saw to gain access to the switch.  This method requires removal of your wiper arms and the beauty cover over the wiper motor.  I decided to go this route because I am not a big fan of removing the intake on a car with 95,000 miles on it.  I started to take pictures to post and immediately ran into problems too numerous to list that may be a little more than the average shade tree mechanic can handle.

This procedure does require some special tools.  Consequently, I am not providing any pictures because I do not want anyone to get in over their heads.  This is a job that I would have a professional mechanic do.  But, if you have this problem and want to tackle it yourself, call me and I will be more than happy to help you do it.  I have the tools required for the job.

I have other problems with my Vette that are no biggie.  More on those later.

Let’s move to something on the lighter side.  With gas prices as high as they were all summer, every time I filled up I got a lot of  comments like “it must cost you a fortune to keep that thing gassed up”.  These comments came generally from people driving small Toyotas, Nissans, Fords, etc.   What I would do was show them the mileage recorded on the trip odometer.  Tell them that was  mileage since my last fill-up, let them see the number of gallons it took to fill up the Vette, and tell them you do the math.  Most would figure it out and get in their car and drive off with a disgusted look on their face.  Some would do the math and say “I can’t believe that, I don’t get that kind of mileage with my Corolla”.  I would then say “that is around-town mileage, I get about 10 mpg better on the open road”.

Speaking of the light side, I asked folks to share any amusing stories you have about your C5’s.  I have received nothing yet from my fellow members.  I don’t know if it is because of problems with the email address that I set up just for this column or not.  I know I am having problems getting into check my emails.  So, if you want to send me a funny story, please send it to my email address (generation_c5_world@yahoo.com).  Don’t forget to use the underscore character before and after the “c5” in this address.

Till next time………….

Enjoy your ride

Bruce Keith

C5 article archive