Tried searching found losts of post but none with the same problem as me THE PROBLEM: I drove to the store today and the car ran fine, when i went out about an hour later and tried to crank the car up nothing, all the accessories are on and everything but nothing from the starter. So then I try to use a screw driver the see if the solinoid is messed up, it seems like the wheel on the started is spinning but not engagine the flywheel for some reason. Also tried banging the cr@p out of the starter to no avail. The starter is a Lifetime warrantied one and is only about a month old.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Joey

 

Sounds like your VATS bit the dust.

 

Bad bendix.........good thing you have a lifetime warranty on the starter!

Double check the connection on the S terminal. If its' clean and tight and the starter runs but doesn't engauge, the starter is bad.

 

hmm my friends bird had the same problem. What does the vats system have to do with it? just curioius cause I have no clue, i'll let him know too.

cheers

 

Actually its not a VATS car, guess too early of an 88, thanks for the feedback, why would a starter go bad so fast.

 

My bad then. Apparently, mine is only one of a few that were made in '88 that have VATS. People always insist that VATS didn't get put in them till '89, but my car proves otherwise. Kinda funny. I also tend to assume that every '88 has it.
I went back and re-read. If it's spinning but not hitting the flywheel, you probably need to shim it. Check your connections at the posts too.

 

Actually Redrummer, they did start putting the VATS into some of the "HIGH-END" cars like yours towards the end of the 1988 production year.

 

proly an old post but im having the same problem an whats a vats system an how do u know if u have it??

 

Ah hah! :hail:

red88fmroula - Does your key have a chip in it?

 

Maybe just the luck of the draw, as far as a bad battery. S*** happens, sometimes. Thats' why they come with guarantees!

As far as VATS, if you have no "security light", you don't have VATS(this pre-supposes the bulb would be working were it there ). If the starter is spinning when you turn the key, its' not VATS related(by the way...the starter SHOULD engauge when you "cross out" the solinoid...VATS or no VATS).

If it was starting just fine then suddenly wouldn't engauge, I think that would rule out shims as a problem.

I still think your bendix "went south".

 

Hmm - one OTHER possibility that I can think of. IF the car isn't ABSOLUTELY in park, all the accesories and stuff will come on, but the starter won't engage. It's a 'safety' feature.

 

Just to follow up a bit, My car got towed from where it was but got it back for free, i still havent figured the problem but the starter will not react at all to the ingnition but the acc. will by turning off, when i do try to connect the starter with a screw driver, the gear just spins and doesnt push out like it use to, im thinking bad solinoid, i will see today and update for anyone with the same problem. Thanks again

Joey

 

hey just wondering does your car have headers? If it does, the heat might be killin off your starter. I have another friend that is having that problem cheers!

 

My car also has VATS, as a matter of fact I'm having problems with it right now, the key is new, the cylinder is new, I tested the resistance and it's the same in the conection as it is in the key, but the security light is still on and I can't by pass it. Can anyone give me a diagram telling me where the VATS module is or how to get rid of it? thanks. I'm selling my car and need to get it to start.

 

IROC-Z5.7TPI......have you figured it out, yet?

Just curious.

 

Sort of confusion here. When you turn the key to start, do you hear the same noise that is made when you jump out the solenoid? I mean do you hear the starter spin with no engagement. If not you have two problems. Jumping out the solenoid will work 100% of the time if the starter/solenoid/battery are OK. I agree it sounds like the bendix is shot.