89firebirdguy05

ok.heres the story..i bought my car and the guy tells me the ignition switch is bad....so he just rigged up a switch from battery to starter so it starts. today i went to buy the switch..replaced it..and still nothing.. i turn the key over and the fuel pump primes..and all the lights and radio comes on just nothing when i turn it over. i also had to reconnect the wires to the lock cylinder itself. so now the security light comes on so i am guessing the vats is working. im stumped right now. any ideas??

Trickster

Yes the VATS is now working and you either have a key without the pellet in it, the pellet is the wrong resistance, or the VATS control module is shot.

89firebirdguy05

sweet..so it is vats related? and the key has the pellet in it. where is the vats control module located at?

Trickster

It is located under the dash on the firewall below the defrost vents near the drivers right knee. I forgot to mention that you might also want to check the starter enable relay located behind the kick panel by the drivers left foot.

89firebirdguy05

how would i go about checkin the relay behind the kick panel? i think i heard it click when i turn it over..but i dont know..i know where it is tho..and the vats...its it behind the diagnostic port thing?thanks a ton trickster...u tha man.haha

Trickster

If you hear it click then it should be alright. However as mentioned it is behind the left kick panel and has four wires going to it. There will be two yellow wires, a dark green wire, and a green/white wire. Yes the VATS control module is located behind the ALDL diagnostic port but a little further back.

89firebirdguy05

yea i noticed it today when taking that box down to get to the bolt for the ignition switch...so its the little box behind the couple fuses? and how much does that part cost?

Trickster

Which one? The relay or the VATS control module? The relay is about $13.00 and the module is about $300.00.

89firebirdguy05

ooooooook......today i checked the resistance in my key..it was like 1.1k ohms so i went to radio shak and bought a 1k ohm resistor and put it on the end of the wires under the dash to bypass the vats. sstill no crank. i snipped the purple wire where it comes right out ofthe firewall and spliced a new wire to that and still has no power when key is turned over. Now i got teh security light on the whole time. on the starter silinoid is there supposed to be the power, purple wire, and 2 other wires with fusable links to them?? anyways so when i still turn the key..nothing just lights and acc. i replaced the starter switch last night....im stumpped right now..again..

89firebirdguy05

aaaaaaaaaand....the car can still start when there is a switch. theres wires from the starter and battery to the switch. and i can get it to start from that. but i dont knwo what my problem is...maybe an ignition cylinder? i can start my car w.o a key with the switch.

camaroracer016

yea.. that sounds like a dead give away, either the ignition cylinder, or some wiring going to and from it

89firebirdguy05

yea..i just bypassed the starter enable relay. it starts just fine now..thanks guys for all the advice...this place is awsome