Recently the ignition went out on my Camaro.
The key stuck in the second on position ie I, could roll the windows up with the power window switch, the key stuck right before engaging the starter.
The ignition was 'on' all the time, then.
I, could turn the key forward to the start position so my starter should have engaged, but, after trying to put my ignition on a off-on switch, by cutting my ground to the switch I found the starter would not engage at all.
After trying several different things and forgetting to disconnect the battery cable + cable the battery drained to nothing.
Which was bad because when I went to get the battery charged the tech discovered a bad cell in the battery, I had to buy another battery.
Money, my lack of it, has been the trouble from the jump.
Anyway, I tried drilling out the ignition, no go.
I tried tearing the ignition out of the column, no go.
I tried everything I could think of.
Then, I decided to hot wire my Camaro from the starter.
Well, I got the starter to work using the off-on switch.
Right when I thought I had a winner ie I had the ignition coming on, the starter turning, but, it seems I have no electrical source going to the coil.
The engine just turns over and over, like a watch, with no hitting as if trying to start at all.
What can I do to get electric to my coil?
Will my injectors work, when, if I do get the coil fired up?
I wonder, since my key had a chip on it, and, it seems there is a 'kill' condition stopping me from starting my Camaro.
Is my problem not solvable, except, I have the car pulled to a garage $175, pay a mechanic to fix the ignition on the column $300?
Isn't there a way to hot wire my Camaro.
I don't have any money right now and can't see how I will be getting any soon, yet, I need my car desperately.
If anyone can help me figure this out and so I can do it myself, I would be greatly appreciative of their doing so.
Muehlbauer -- Orlando, Florida

 

This happened in my 87 firebird and I and I put a pust button to the starter what you do is the two bolts you use on your starter to short it out and see if it turns you run one wire to the big power and the other wire to the little post on the right of the main power from the battery If I can be of any more assistance let me know.

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1987 Firebird 2.8 more show than go. Still turns over 10' tires though.

 

My brother had a similar problem on his 85 Monte once. The key would not go to lock and come out, nor would the car start. Turned out that the linkage to the tranny was out of adjustment, so the car wasn't totally in park. This tripped the safety switch, and as a result, key is stuck, and car won't start.

 

Baller, I have the starter wired so it is ready to go. The problem I have now is getting fire to the cylinders. I have the ignition showing on the dash as being on, but, there is nothing happening past that. What I need to know is how do I get past the 'kill' function built into my Camaro at the factory. The key part is turned to 'on' - the starter is cranking - I have power to the dash, turn signals, wipers, power windows, etc. Even with all of this turned on still there is something interrupting the electrical flow to the coil.

Is there a wire outside of the firewall that I might fuse into so I can get around the built-in interrupt?

 

Mike 86SC, I wish, I, had talked to you before I started tearing everything up...now, I am knee deep into it, it is too late, to turn back now.

What I need to know is how to defeat the factory system that keeps electricity from reaching the coil...

This thing about my Camaro, has become a problem that I will not let defeat me! I, will make the damn car run, without a key, without the stupid factory ignition, damn the factory, damn the engineer's who designed this nightmare of an ignition system!

A nightmare, for us plier and screwdriver mechanic's, and, so that we can't get our cars to run!!!
Thinking..............

Maybe, and though my ignition seems to be 'on' - it really isn't!?

Surely, there is a way to get around the ignition when once I am past the firewall.

I, am there now, I can use the starter and everything else like the wipers, etc..
But, the car won't start...

I had to take a bus today, to get to the VA! It cost me four dollars and twenty cents; a trip, that should have taken three hours, took six!

When I was a kid, I, could hot wire the cars then in about ten minutes. A wire from the starter's hot side to the coil, with a switch in-between, a wire from the starter's hot side to the small post, with a switch in-between. No computer crap, we got our vacuum advance from a little hose, run from the carburetor to the distributor....

If, you can think of anything else, Mike, let me know.

I want to tell you thanks, but, the knowledge you provided to me was late in coming, and, it only makes me hurt more, now.

Well heck........thanks, Mike.

 

Something maybe having a look at would be to replace the ignition switch? Wire the car back to original and put in a new switch? Just a thought.

 

Oldschool, the problem I have is 'no money' to have the car pulled to a garage and repaired. If I had the money I would have done that in the first place. Thanks for the suggestion, but, suggesting the obvious is of no use to me at this stage of the game. I have already corrupted the situation so that having a mechanic involved now is something I cannot afford, neither will I be able to afford to do it that way a month from now, or, even next year. I live on a fixed income, a matter of an industrial accident that permanently disabled me, there is no money coming in for me to do it the right way.

 

why don't you just pull the steering wheel off and replace the key cylinder? i can't imagine it is a very expensive part. maybe $20 or $30 dollars? it won't be easy to get around the anti-theft system. if it was, it wouldn't be an anti-theft system. oh and you should always take the negative terminal off your battery, that way if your tool touches the body you won't blow up the battery.

[This message has been edited by MrF-body (edited February 03, 2001).]

 

I pulled the wheel off, after that there is a plate that has notches in it (for the steering wheel locking part of it all I suppose), this is press fitted on, so I guess I will need a wheel puller to get it off. But, what else is there to it? I don't want my turn signals messed up, etc..
How do I get it back on when once I have pulled it all off?

 

i think you can still get the tool at pep boys, it pushes the lock plate down so you can remove the clip holding it. then there is a spring, then the turn signal cam,and i think only one torx head screw holding in the key cylinder.

 

THE CAMARO IS ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

My only problem was with THE KEY...

I, had to go down the steering column and get the yellow wires I had destroyed while drilling out the old key. Once I got them I taped one wire on one side of the chip, on my (spare) key, and the other wire on the other side of the chip.

Once I did that: VEROOOOOOM.

Daddy, is back, in the driver's seat...

I, want to thank, everyone, who tried to help me. You, did help me, a lot. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

I learned a lot, and, I, gained an opportunity to converse with some really nice people.

Thanks...
Mule