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LTX and LSXPutting LT1s, LS1s, and their variants into Third Gens is becoming more popular. This board is for those who are doing and have done the swaps so they can discuss all of their technical aspects including repairs, swap info, and performance upgrades.
I have a 92 z28 that i put a ls1 t56 from 01 z28. I have a harness built by pocket. The problem is when i go to plug in the battery it makes the starter start clicking. I am using battery cables from the 01 z28. The positive cable goes to the big bolt on starter and the other positive cable goes to the alternator and the third positive goes to the power distribution block. My negitive cable goes to ground on fender and ground on block above starter. I have a ground from driver head to firewall and ground from block to k member. Any help would be apperciated!
I found my problem!! The power wire to the starter was touching the solenoid wire. So i fixed that and now i can hook my battery up. So i went to start the car and nothing. Everything else works. Fuel pump primes but no start. Doesnt even try. I checked all my fuses. Anything anyone can think of that i might be missing. I also have the clutch switch wired also.
I'd say new starter. And I mean NEW. Starter on my 01 Trans Am crapped out. Bought a reman one from autozone, did the very thing you're describing. Little click click, maybe a slight whir sound. Tested "good" on their crummy machine. I returned it, got myself a brand spankin' new AC Delco, and that's all it took. Started right up. I swear I love putting quality OEM accessories on my car more than performance mods. Little thing called peace of mind.
Ok would the vats not being disabled make it do nothing except prime the pump? I am going to get the ecm reprogrammed today and if that doesnt solve the problem i will look into a new srarter.
I would start with getting the vats disabled in the PCM before throwing money at anything.
Also, in the drivers side kick panel, behind some nice, tarry looking black stuff is the starter enable relay. You can bypass that relay with a piece of heavy wire and the car will at least crank.... probably won't start though due to the VATS issue
I bypassed the relay and still nothing so i bought a starter on ebay just now so any ideas i could do while i wait a week to get the starter in the mail?
Yes it was an auto car. Right no i just have the two big wires twisted together bypassing the switch just to remove one more variable of something causing it to no start
You can remove the starter and take it to nearly any parts store for testing. If it tests good, then check out the relay
The starter enable relay is located behind the drivers kick panel often behind the black goo. Bridge the two 12ga wires to bypass it
To test the circuit grab a meter set to reistance. Unhook teh battery 12v cable and touch the leads to the + battery cable and starter solenoid wire. Meter should read 1 (open). Have and assistant turn the key to crank and hold for a few seconds while you read the meter. It should read some thing other than 1 if the solenoid wire is connected properly. If its still 1 then your circuit is not complete
Ok i will try that. Thanks for the info. My new starter will be here thursday. If that doesnt work i will test the voltage at the starter. Everything worked with the old motor mid september this year which is why i dont suspect the relay or the key and cylinder.
I pulled the black stuff off and there was nothing behind it. In my pic in the middle of the pic there is a relay behind those whitish wires is that it?
Those are the wires for power windows or something like that. The starter wires are in the harness bundle that runs down to the floor. I'm guessing the relay is fallen down under the carpet.
Mine wasn't behind the black goo either. Either someone previously moved it are it was a factory oversight. It was actually further up on the cabin side of the under-dash.
Ok its alive!! I bapassed the relay and it started right up. Now what do i do? Just put in a new relay or do i need to keep it bypassed? I would perfer to fix it correctly.
The only reason that relay exists is to give the PASSkey box a way to turn on the starter motor. What you did was bypass the security system and now the starter is run directly by your hand using the key switch. The resistor chip in the key no longer matters.
If you don't care about PASSkey (VATS) then you are fine. If you do care about electronic security then you need to come up with another idea. What you did is fairly common practice but just bear in mind the car is now incredibly easy to steal.
So im bypassing vats now. Why is it causing me problems with the ls1 and not the old tpi? My other ls1 swap did not have this problem. Also if i keep it bypassed can i just wire the two big wires together? What do i do with the other wires going to the relay that now are going to nothing?
The only reason that relay exists is to give the PASSkey box a way to turn on the starter motor.
Another reason to use a relay is to reduce the current going through the ignition switch and neutral safety (or clutch safety) switch. Or, to put it another way, to reduce the voltage drop across those switches (ask me how I know that one...).
So im bypassing vats now. Why is it causing me problems with the ls1 and not the old tpi? My other ls1 swap did not have this problem. Also if i keep it bypassed can i just wire the two big wires together? What do i do with the other wires going to the relay that now are going to nothing?
Yes, you can just splice the two larger wires together and remove the relay connector entirely if you want to clean things up a bit. The two smaller wires were the control side of the relay that was associated with the PASSkey module which is no longer used.
There is more than one way to defeat the PASSkey. I left the relay alone because I didn't want to solder 12 gauge wire. It was much easier to solder smaller gauge wire by jumping terminals A3 and B1 at the connector to PASSkey module. You need the dash out to access it though. The difference is my method uses the relay, and your method eliminates the relay. Most people do it your way.
Another reason to use a relay is to reduce the current going through the ignition switch and neutral safety (or clutch safety) switch. Or, to put it another way, to reduce the voltage drop across those switches (ask me how I know that one...).
Most newer cars do have a starter relay for that reason, but for 3rd gens this is strictly a VATS item
12-01-2015, 07:12 PM
