I recently bought a '91 RS with a LT1 swapped into. About a week ago the alarm on the car started acting up and it would not turn off, unless I just let it set for a while. At about the same time the alarm acted up, the car would not start. When this happened I unplugged the battery, to try to reset the alarm, and when I came back the next day the alarm stayed silent and the car started right up. I took it for a spin and before I could get out of my neighborhood the starter became engaged. I cut the car off and drifted into a parking lot and the starter was still trying to turn over, even with the key out of the ignition. Since that happened I have checked the starter and replaced the starter silinode but the car still will not turn over. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I would check where ever they spliced the wires at first. When you swap in a Lt1 you have to rewire the power wires and a few other wires. If they did a crappy job with wiring, you may have weird problems like this and have to re-do the wiring.

To note, I use 63/37 solder and use heatshrink tubing on every wire I splice.

 

I was hoping against having to go through all the wiring but it looks like there isn't anyway around it. Is there anywhere in paticular that you would suggest I start checking, and do you think that the starter relay could cause a problem like this?

 

There isn't a starter relay.

http://shbox.com/1/starter_charging_95.jpg

This is the schematic for a 95 F-body LT1. It may have been wired differently on your car. The theft deterent relay and vats can be removed/replaced with wires. If that relay or if vats is there or not won't make a difference for your problem. Something is shorting out across the ignition switch more than likely.

Its possible you have a bad ignition switch.

Start by disconnecting the connector(s) that goes to the ignition switch. They are the connector(s) with the bigger power wires on the steering column. Probably colored red,pink,orange,yellow. Still does it after that, then its not the switch.

Thats the problem for the starter staying on. Now, the car won't start after you replaced the starter? Make sure you put the wires on the right way when you put the starter back in.

 

There is not suposed to be a starter relay? When I turned the key all I heard was a small click coming from some little connector behind the left driver side kick panel. When I took the cover off the connector there was a copper plate on the thing that, when I turned the key, would pull itself to another plate creating a clicking noise. Would this be a starter relay or something else?

I probably should have clarified that there is a feder mounted silinode in the engine bay, which was the silinode I replaced. The starter was checked out by Advance and said to be in good working order, and is wired correctly.

So I should disconnect all connectors going to the ignition switch and then see if it will turn over?

Sorry if I am asking simple questions, this is my first time really trying to fix anything electrical on a car or anything else electrical for that matter. It turns out it's a little more difficult than I thought it would be.

 

Oh, fuel pump relay is probably what's clicking.

Just not starting now is the problem?

 

Yes, the car won't even turn over now. I can jump the silinode with a wrench or screw driver and start the car, but nothing happens when I turn the key by itself. If I jump the car to get it started the INFL REST light comes on, I don't know if this means anything or not. And the VATS has been disabled.

 

ok. its either the ign switch, transmission switch, theft det relay, bad vats module or something with vats, or the wiring. Pretty much anything in that schematic. Vats could still cause problems unless its completly removed and disabled in the LT1's computer.

If you could place a wire between C1 and A2 on the theft det relay, that would narrow it down. If the relay is not there then bypass the transmission switch by placing a wire from the yellow wire to the brown(sometimes purple) wire.

Might want to buy a digital multimeter, to see if you even have power coming in to the ign switch.