Problem: Couple days ago, car wouldn't start, no turning, nothing, as if the starter went out. Trued about 12 times, finally it starts for some reason. Get home, next morning nothing, tried like 100 times and nothing. Send it to the shop because I had no time to work on it and they replace the VATS relay in the kick panel and it starts up fine, no problems. Bring it home, try to go out that night...nothing, same thing. Now, what could it be? How can I trace the problem with VATS? Problem could be in the column somewhere, so how do I go about accessing inside the column and what am I looking for? Please explain this to me like I am 12, lol. Could it be a short somewhere? If it is the relay again, why would this happen? A wiring diagram would be helpful too. How many wires are involved with the VATS system? and any other helpful information concerning VATS would be appreciated.
Thanks guys

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-Bill
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Boston Chapter
91Z28, (in progress) 3.8L, TE63-1 turbo, MSD50lb injectors, Hemco upper, ported TTA heads, 62MM TB, Red's XP fuel pump, 3.73s, vigilante (stall to be determined)

 

I don't know the "right" way to go about it, but the "wrong" way to go about it will cost you $150. Get a Painless Wiring Non-VATS chip from Autozone (they can special order it). It will bypass the VATS mechanism altogether, making your car slightly easier to steal (my understanding is that the VATS system was not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but what do I know?!?! LOL

Good luck!



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90 Wrangler with Firebird Formula TPI 305, Chevy granny low 4 speed tranny and Scout Dana44 axles.

 

This exact same thing happened to my friend.... He did a nice burnout in the lot (which killed the car)... And we're all standing around admiring the rubber and smoke... so we decide to leave before the authorities were notified... we hop in the car....it doesn't start

oh crap

anyway... we push/pop clutch to start it... and it works... we get it to his house... turn it off, it starts back up....

next morning, it wouldn't start

He ended up bypassing the vats... Measure the resistance of the frob in your key... And get a resistor of this value (it can be off a little....not sure how little tho).. And there are some yellow wires up under the dash that you run the resistor across.. I'll try to get my friend to post, since he did it and actuall has an idea of what he's talking about..

-Tesla

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91 T/A 305
STB, Airfoil, Hooker cat-back, pseudo-cold air to K&N, Accel coil, !cat, !smog pump.
300 lb*ft of rice churning power.

 

Said friend replying.

Take the panels off under your drivers side, at the base of the column there is a pair of yellow wires going into a little clip.

Take resistance of the resistor in your key, get some resistors that match, or wire up a little circuit that has the total resistance that matches, and put it in there, and clip it back in (well you could really just put it in there, but the clip is nice to HOLD it in.

Problem solved!



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"I put my 42 sticker on the
back so other cars can see
it...."

 

Thanks for the info guys, now Mr. 89formula#42, when I take my resistance reading, drop the lower part of the dash and see this clip thing, open it, will it be obvious how the resitors go in? Do i place 2 resistors in there, one for each wire? Any special tools needed? Thanks, any other info greatly appreciated.

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-Bill
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Boston Chapter
91Z28, (in progress) 3.8L, TE63-1 turbo, MSD50lb injectors, Hemco upper, ported TTA heads, 62MM TB, Red's XP fuel pump, 3.73s, vigilante (stall to be determined)

 

You want the resistors going across the wires, Which in essense is one end of your resistor(s) in each of the connecting pins.

You'll probably have to use more than one resistor in series or parralel to make it work to the value you want. but wire up the total resistance to be right, and then one end goes in each little socket.

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"I put my 42 sticker on the
back so other cars can see
it...."

 

Ok, got home, dropped the panel, can not find two yellow wires going to a clip. Only yellow I see is one going to my air bag. Any other place it may be? I looked everywhere. any way I can splice into the system by the relay?
Thanks guys, you are a ton of help.

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-Bill
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Boston Chapter
91Z28, (in progress) 3.8L, TE63-1 turbo, MSD50lb injectors, Hemco upper, ported TTA heads, 62MM TB, Red's XP fuel pump, 3.73s, vigilante (stall to be determined)

 

Try this.Go back under the dash and look for two very small gauge white wires.They will be about 22-24 gauge.Usually they are wrapped in a yellow tubing,but since you already had it at the shop,the mechanic may have cut it off.Anyway,these will be your VATS wire.Just do the resistor procedure as explained before.The reason your VATS system may not be working properly is probably the contacts inside the ignition switch that contact the resistor pellet on your key.After time,these contacts just wear out.So the cheapest way to fix it is bypassing the system which involves splicing in the correct value resistor. Hope this helps-Jeff

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"So,tell me Mr. Stang. How's life like living in the exhaust of a Chevy V-8?"

 

The "Security" light in the cluster can help diagnose the problem, if it is the VATS system causing the problem.

The security light normally turns on for only about 2 seconds, and then turns off, after the igniton is turned on, if the resistor in the ignition key is the correct value.

If there is no resistance (short circuit), or if there is infinite resistance (open circuit) across the two sense contacts in the ign switch, when the ignition is turned on, the security light will not turn on, the starter will not crank, and the fuel injectors will not fire.

If the incorrect resistance value (there are 15 values total) is placed across the two sense contacts in the ign switch when the ignition is turned on, the security light will stay lit while the ignition is turned on, the starter will not crank, and the fuel injectors will not fire. When the ign is turned off a timer will start. The timer takes from 2 to 4 minutes to expire. If the ign is turned back on, before the timer expires, the timer will restart, again. If the ign is turned back on after the timer expires, with the correct resistance value, the system will function normal again.

Use the security light to determine what's going on with the VATS system & then go from there. Chances are, if it is the VATS module, that the contacts in the ign switch that touch the resistor in the key are dirty, or worn out, as someone else has already pointed out.


Tim

 

Thanks guys, it's all on this weekend. I'll see if I can bypass it, if not, looks like I'll get a PROM without VATS and that should solve it too...hopefully. I am definitely not fixing it the right way, I have no need to. When the new motor and harness go in I won't have VATS anyway, so I just need a 3 month fix.
Thanks again guys, I hope it all works out.

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-Bill
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Boston Chapter
91Z28, (in progress) 3.8L, TE63-1 turbo, MSD50lb injectors, Hemco upper, ported TTA heads, 62MM TB, Red's XP fuel pump, 3.73s, vigilante (stall to be determined)