We bought a 1991 Camaro RS cheap. Dealer said that alarm had been pulled. All inside things work with key on, but will not attempt to start. I have the key and it does have the chip in it. Where should I start to try to get this thing going?
Supreme Member
fuses, plugs, wires, coil, distributor, starter, injectors just to name a few, could be anything without more details.
Does the security light come on??
No the light will not come on. They said the alarm had been pulled?
TGO Supporter
The security light is not for the alarm system, it is for the Vehicle Anti-Theft system which is the pellet in the key. You probably have a broken wire on the ignition lock cylinder inside the steering column. Do this simple little test to find out if this is the case.
Look under the dash for two wires coming down the steering column. They will either be two yellow wires in a black sleeve or two white wires in a orange sleeve. They will connect to a connector with a black/white wire and a purple/yellow wire, disconnect those wires. Now take a multimeter and set it to OHM's and measure the resistance in the pellet in your key as shown in the picture below. Now put the key in the lock cylinder and measure the resistance of the keys pellet through the wires coming down the steering column. If the resitance value is different, your problem is in the lock cylinder. If the value is the same, then your problem is elsewhere such as in the VATS control module or its wiring.
Look under the dash for two wires coming down the steering column. They will either be two yellow wires in a black sleeve or two white wires in a orange sleeve. They will connect to a connector with a black/white wire and a purple/yellow wire, disconnect those wires. Now take a multimeter and set it to OHM's and measure the resistance in the pellet in your key as shown in the picture below. Now put the key in the lock cylinder and measure the resistance of the keys pellet through the wires coming down the steering column. If the resitance value is different, your problem is in the lock cylinder. If the value is the same, then your problem is elsewhere such as in the VATS control module or its wiring.
The dealer told us that the wiring had been cut under the dash. The only thing is, we don't know how it was supposed to be wired in the first place. Any sugestions? All of the wires are pulled down under the dash with some cut.
TGO Supporter
Did it crank and run at the dealership and did you drive it home? To my knowledge, there is only one two pin connector under the dash that has a black/white & purple/yellow wire going into it and connecting to a connector with two white wires that come down the steering column.
No we did not drive it home. We only paid 600 for it. We can go from the purple wire behind the master down to the starter and jump start it, but msut poor gas into the injectors to make it run. Going to look for those wires under the dash. The motor sounds perfect as long as you keep pouring the gas to it, so I don't think I got hurt on the price.
The alarm that had been cut by the way was an after market alarm. Found part of it. Just trying to figure out how the car was wired before the alarm so I can put it back together.