kamaroirock

my formula is broken down in a subway parking lot right now. it started normal then i went to subway then when i came back out it wouldnt start, no crank no nothing. but the battery reads 12.6v and all the power accessories work . im thinking is might be a vats problem but am not sure. not sure if its always like that but when i turn the key to start the security light comes on. I need to get the car fixed by tomarrow so any help is apreciated

kamaroirock

btw its a 89 formula tbi auto

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

Do you have a spare key? Try that.

kamaroirock

nope no spare

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

try scratching the contacts on chip on the key just a very little bit. You could take a quarter or razor blade and scratch the metal. Hopefully that might work temporally if its your key. Hopefully your key is just wore down from use. It sounds like a vats problem. If that fixes it, get a new key made from gm or pick one up on ebay - 1/2 price there.

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

or have vats disabled.

kamaroirock

yea i would do a search on how so disable it but the search is down is im gonna need a lil help on that, i will deff try that ting u mentioned with the key too

kamaroirock

so can anyone help me disable the vats? i know i need to measure the resistance of my key and buy a resistor of the same value from radioshack and put the resistor inline on the wire for the vats but i dont know where this wire is.......... sound right?

kamaroirock

help me!!

kamaroirock

i ohmed out the chip on my kep and it measured 2.368kohms i went to radio shack to buy a resistor and the closest they had was 2.2kohms is that going to work?

Schultzy89GTA

that resistor may be just out of range for you...

See if this helps

VATS resistance value acceptable ranges

-Schultzy

kamaroirock

damn were do u think i might be able to find a resistor i need? radio shack dosent carry it. and i think i found the wires i need to put the resistors in, its two solid yellow wires coming down the colum into a connector. if i had the right resistors i would need to put two resistors in between the connectors on either side to start the car or would i take one resistor and bend it so that i could plug it into both sides of the one connector?

Schultzy89GTA

You found the right connector. You can use one resistor to complete that circuit.

You should be able to find them at an electronics store like Fry's. Not sure what stores are in your area.

Have you diagnosed it down to the wires in the column?

-Schultzy

kamaroirock

so i fold the resistor so both sides are pluged into the side of the connector going away from the colum right? and i couldnt diag it down to that cause i didnt have a multimeter with me to help figure it out but hopefully it work when i get the resistor or els im screwed

Schultzy89GTA

Yes that is one way to do it and it will work. You will need to make sure that you have good contact inside the connector.

Give it a try as the resistors are cheap but if that doesn't fix it you will want to pick up a voltmeter, even if just a cheap one, otherwise you will just keep throwing parts at it.

Did you try giving the starter a 'tap' with a hammer? Several things here that could cause a no-start condition.

Good luck.

-Schultzy

Schultzy89GTA

Just to make sure that we are clear. Disconnect the two connectors. The resistor will be put in place of the connector coming out from the steering column with the two yellow wires (not in the connector coming from the column). Basically you will be bypassing the circuitry that would normally be completed with the resistor in the key.

Make sense?

-Schultzy

firebirdjosh

iTrader: (1)

Radioshack resistors are not very tight tolerances, I'd take a meter and measure everyone while still in the package and see if any are 2.35K

redbird_400

wow you have the same car right down to the year/model with the same problem I had. Wouldnt be surprised if your paint wasnt red as well lol.. anyway your going through alot of trouble for this. It does sound like a vats problem because that security light normal turns on for 1 second, then turns off. If it is staying on then that should tell you that vats failed its test. The quickest way that I got my car running was with a steering wheel puller, philips screw driver a torx head bit, and a pair of pliers. Took the steering wheel off, found the wire that goes to the resistor on the key, cut it, took the removed the lock tumbler (need the torx bit for that) touched it to both sides of the key, reached in with the pliars and turned the metal piece that the tumbler connects to to start the car, worked fine. Had to keep the car running as I put the steering wheel back on. Took it home to find that there was a break in the wire that connects to the ignition tumbler, but thats no surprise seeing that its been turning since 1989. I'd say this is the quickest way. Becareful of which steering wheel puller you buy, make sure it can both pull the wheel off and press it back on.

kamaroirock

ok i know how to do it now thanks for clearing things up. i just gotta get my hands on a resistor!!!!!!!!............ i checked each and every radioshack resistor none will work unfourtunatly so hopefully i can get my hands on a resistor tomarrow..........btw may car is red........im not ready to take apart the colum yet maybe later in the week if i havnt fixed it yet thanks