affliction1

heres the deal.i have a 1990 camaro that im putting a new steering column in.vats is bypassed.and i had it running a week ago.but yesterday i went to start it and all that happened was all lights came on then break light and check engiht light stay on no click no starter no pump just like a low pitch noise comming from the dash when i turn the key .pretty sure the starter relay is bad but im not sure where it is i would love pics of it and detailed discription because i cant find it for the life of me.or if u have any other ideas please tell me i need to get my camaro on the road

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...311-post9.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...0-starter.html

rsrookie

I don't know where it is on a '90 but I'll give you a ballpark place or two to look for it, cause in the case of my '92 it was a mamma-jamma. First, remove the drivers side kick panel to see if you see the relay there.I didn't (yours may be different rememberI'm talking '92 here).The starter enable relay should be a cube about 1 inch square.Whoever said it is behind some 'goo' may be full of said substance.After dropping the lower portion of the dash I was able to find it way the hell up behind the fuse box covered with electrical tape and hung like a foreign hostage.After wrestling with several feet of electrical tape,I could actually get to it.I had to pull mine away from the socket using a tiny screwdriver.Once I got it out of there,I discovered that 2 of the prongs (or blades) were discolered like maybe from too much heat.Get a blanket or an old pillow to lay on cause you'll be twistin like a pretzel lol.If you go to rock auto's website you will see exactly what the part looks like.No, it won't give you it's location in the car, but at least you will know what you're looking for.Good luck with your search.I hope this helps to some degree.

camaronewbie

http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=38

http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=19

1990z28

In the 1990 its behind the driver kick panel behind a square of black tar like stuff if you get in to the car theres alot of it. If you want to cut the 2 thicker wires a couple inches from the relay and hook them together and try to start the engine if the starter goes the relay is bad or it had a bad ground. It will save you a few bucks.

GogglesPisano

Does anyone happpen to know where it is on a 86 IROC

camaronewbie

1986 car doesn't have one - only the VATS cars had them.

GogglesPisano

Bummer, I have the same problem listed above. I turned the key nothing.

I hooked a ground wire directly up to the starter and jumped the 2 leads on the starter and thats how I got my car out of Home Depot parking lot.

My engine may not be grounded well enough for the starter to actually be grounded...maybe

Also I may need to follow the wire from the key because with the tilt steering I may have
pinched a wire. I noticed before the car would start easier with the column lowered than raised up. I thought it was just my mind playin tricks on me but I may have severed the coating on the ignition wire. I never smelt anything burnt or ever heard a sizzle nada

What a pain but I love makin it to work 10 minutes faster in the IROC lol

camaronewbie

auto tranny or stick?

GogglesPisano

auto

camaronewbie

OK - take the top of the center console off - attached to the right hand side of the shifter is the Neutral Safety Switch - will have 2 large wires and several smaller ones - one large wire should be purple, other could be green or yellow - I'll call it #2. With the car in park, while turning the key to start, test the purple wire (just cut a tad of insulation off the edge so you can probe it) and make sure it's getting 12v.

If it is, then out at the starter, that same purple wire connects all by itself to a stud on the starter - test the purple wire there while key is turned and see if it's getting 12v. If it's not, there's a break or short in that purple wire between the NSS and the starter.

If the purple wire is NOT getting 12v at the NSS, then either the NSS is bad, or the ignition switch (not the key cylinder) is bad. Test wire #2 at the NSS while key turned to see if it's getting 12v - if it is, then the NSS is bad, if it's not, then the ignition switch is bad.

12v comes from fuse box to ignition switch, out of ignition switch (on wire #2) to NSS, out of NSS (on the purple wire) through firewall (C100) connector to starter.

Make sense?

camaronewbie

This http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=19

and this

http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=38

might help too - just remember you do not have the starter enable relay, so skip that part of the 2nd link.

GogglesPisano

I've Identified the purple and yellow wire in the center. I'm familiar with these wires as I have installed a B&M mega shifter and had to splice a few wires. Nothing changed after the install and I believe the install was correct because the car had started every time for 2-3 months prior to the Home Depot break down about 2 days ago.

I tested the continuity from the purple in the center to the starter and it checked good. I checked through the nss & it was good. And last I checked from the center to wire#2 (Yellow) under the dash.

I'm gonna check voltage after work tomorrow.

No power from yellow, wire #2, is prolly the ignition switch right?

And where is the ignition switch lol? Sounds like you may have done this before

I have the book for the car with the diagram in it. thanks for the link. I bookmarked it

Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.

GogglesPisano

The car started yesterday. It was like everything cooled down or something. I did notice when I tilt the wheel up the car won't start. Tilt that sucker down and the car fires right up. Has to be something in the column. I'm gonna make a new thread. If you know something I don't feel free to share lol