BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

What's the simplest way of disabling the vehicle anti-theft system? There is something screwy with my car, sometimes I go to start it and something triggers the VATS system and I am stranded for 5 minutes until I can try it again. I'm not sure if its something in the cylinder inside the steering column or a bad wire/ground or what. My thoughts are that the easy way to fix it without too much trouble would be to disable the entire system. Any thoughts/concerns/tips?

thirdgenfcarnut

From what I have read of other member's posts you can disable the VATS through reprogramming the ECM. As a 12 volt installer for over 11 years I have easily disabled the VATS for remote start installs (with the customers permission.) All you need is a digital volt ohm meter or access to one. Locate a 2 wire harness coming from the column. The harness will have 2 thin white wires and is covered in orange sheathing. This harness will terminate at a black 2 pin plug. Exiting the black plug will be 2 thicker wires (easier to work with) They are white/black and purple/white. Cut both of them at least an inch down from the plug. Next place your key into the ignition. do not turn the key. Place the probes of the meter set to OHMS on the cut white/black purple/white wires from the plug. This will give you the resistance in OHMS of the resistor/pellet in your key. Write this number down. Go to Radio Shack and buy the resistor or combo of resistor that match your key. Jump the 2 wires leading to the VATS module together with the resistor/s. Not the harness from the column. This will give the VATS module a consistant reading upon every startup since the contacts in the switch can go bad. Any questions feel free to ask

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

That's how I did mine except I didn't have a key so I made resistors for all of the possible chip types (15 in all). I tested them one by one until the dash made the click sound telling me I found the right one. BTW, you don't have to wait the five minutes for the computer to reset, just take the lead off the battery for a moment, then put the lead back on and try the next one.

thirdgenfcarnut

Arizona IROC, I give you ALOT of credit for your patience and ingenuity

Trickster

Thirdgenfcarnut, There is a quicker and simpler way of getting the ohm resistance value from a pelletized key. Instead of cutting the wire harness, why not just use the OHM meter and get the value from the key itself?

BlueZee28

iTrader: (30)

I can get the OHM reading from the key pretty easily with help from a friend. I've had to buy a new one recently. Dealerships will even give you the reading by putting the key in a machine at their shop.

You say I can get these resistors at somewhere like AutoZone or something? About how long does it take to do all of this?

thirdgenfcarnut

Of course you can do it that way... I am just used to this way because you A. have to cut the wires anyway
B. are under the dash already
C. I have an array of resistors on hand in my install kit
So in actuality my way is quicker... I am staying in one place and it is just as simple

thirdgenfcarnut

Radio Shack or an electronics supply store is your best bet for the resistors. I have not seen them at any Auto Zone by me at least. Your area may be different. Including removal of the underdash panel and the knee bolster I do this procedure in about 15 minutes... tops. Use a good set of crimping tools and solderless crimp connectors or solder and heat shrink to make your connections solid. loose contact connections like twist and tape will cause you more problems than you have now

TIMMYS89GTA

iTrader: (28)

Wow!I thought I read the last POSSIBLE VATS thread like a year ago?
Blue z,I would suggest having the VATS function disabled in the memcal and then going behind the driverside foot panel,pop out the disable relay,remove the relay and jumper off the thick tan/white wire and the thick green or green/white wire.Don't recall the green wire right now but the 2 wires are like 8 gauge wires.Pretty simple to identify.
That way,you don't need to worry about the ohm resistors and cutting wires.

RobSS1113

I just disabled my friends vats on his 91 camaro ... I already had the resistors for the 2 91 camaros I own .... one was for a #3 key and the other was for a #15 key............. so all I had to do was come up with 13 other possible chances if those 2 did not work .. Well neither of mine worked and the next possible comination I came up with when I put some resistors together was for a #7 key and what do you know that one worked.... I got lucky. Good old lucky #7 !!

P.s. I was able to do this thanks to all the responsed and threads here about VATS systems.... I've must of read pages and pages about it.

Daves03

i seen it somewhere that there is a harness with the resistor already soldered into it i think it might have been ecklers camaro

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

I'm in the process of doing this to my '89. Not only was I having malfunction problems, but also I lost all the keys(while trying to solve the malfunction problem, lol). So I'm starting from scratch, cutting wires, playing trial-n-error with resistors, and installing a standard ignition lock cylinder(not to mention installing new door locks, trunk lock and rear storage compartment lock).

Searching this site, I learned that there is a pre-packaged set of resistors for the 15 GM resistor values, and that Al and Ed's sells it. Al and Ed's website shows it as part number "652T General Motors VATS override kit," by Directed Electronics, Inc. But unfortunately, their stores don't stock it, so they would've had to order it. So instead, I did a websearch, and I found it online from a place called Sonic Electronix. Sonic is local to the LA area, and they do will calls, so I picked it up from them the same day. For future reference on TGO, here it is:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...+DEI+652T.html

There's also a bit of misinformation floating around this site that I learned when searching out this fix: that a standard ignition lock cylinder won't fit or work in place of the vats ignition lock cylinder. But, yes, it does. This is where I began, and it does fit, and it does work. There is a difference, though.

The vats cylinder is slightly longer than a standard cylinder(about 1/16" to 1/8"), most likely due to using a longer key. So the standard cylinder fits slightly deeper inside the column, unfortunately, taking away its ability to be pushed in and turned backwards to the ACC position. But other than that, it works fine for turning on the ignition, so I don't mind making such a small sacrifice. If I ever feel the need, maybe someday I'll re-install a vats cylinder. But since I never use the ACC position anyway, I doubt I'll ever worry about it.