Ok I really dont know what the original owner did to my car but it only starts when it feels like it. I have every reason to believe its VATS because the security light pops on when I turn my key and stays on.

Sometimes my car wont start, It sat for a few days not starting, I took 2 whole days diagnosing it and bypassing the starter and fuel. The car still wouldnt start start so I started on ignition.

I sat here for hours going through 500 different resistors to make 15 different combinations, because the key I have (thats been actually starting my car this whole time) is not a VATS enabled key.

The weird part is, after making a few resistors, I come out to the car and it starts right up without any resistors. The car starts up with the security light lit up the whole time----- this was last night.

I came out here today and the car wasnt trying to start once again, so I go get the resistor combinations, come back out and bam, it starts up with the security light on the whole time, without any resistors. The previous owner did something strange to this car but the vats is not acting right.

BTW, the 2 wires coming out of my steering column I have to plug my resistors up to, I keep hearing they are white in an orange sleeve, The only 2 wires coming out are yellow in a black sleeve, and they have been tampered with. They are just laying there missing the connector, plugged up to nothing.

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

if u go to ls1tech website and do a search on vats theres a theard that tells you every thing you need to know about the vats system i think the vats in your car is the same in my 2002 trans am not for sure though but it worth a try

 

Bypass it

https://www.thirdgen.org/vats

https://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system

Also if you have a place around you that does Car Alarm, Remote Starters and such they might have what they call a VATS Pack, basically it is all of the 15 different resistors used.
Found a website you can buy the Pack from

http://www.gdielectronics.com/652t.html

 

Im pretty sure you didnt read what i wrote.

I am in the middle of bypassing it

 

im tired of this bs... it starts the it doesnt, it starts the it doesnt. I have no way of testing the right resistance.

 

If you don't have anyway to test the resistance how did you go through the "500" resistors and make a combination? You should not have to bypass each individual system. If the wiring is hacked there is no way to know what the previous owner did. Some pics might help. The information you need is in the tech article I posted earlier.

 

As others said, Bypass it. There is around like 14-15? Resistances it can be. Also there is a 5 min lockout period in between getting the right one.

I am also having Vats problems but I already bypassed it but my ghetto connections came undone and now I have to redo it right this time.

 

The wires should be white in an orange sleeve, just like you've heard... mine were, and most other peoples' I've read about were also white. However, the diagram in the tech article link says black. Regardless, if the wires are cut and hanging out of the column, no connector on the end and not connected to anything, then your VATS has probably already been bypassed, and that bypassing connection apparently isn't solid and secure.

And you said the key isn't a VATS key, so a standard ignition was apparently installed, also indicating your VATS has already been bypassed. So you probably just need to redo the bypassing connection underneath the dash.

So look underneath your dash near the top of the pedal area for a small black connector that's probably not connected to anything, maybe having some tape over the end of it(probably because there's a resistor inside there for the attempted bypass). Or you might find a connected connector with wires cut on one side, maybe with the two wires looking taped together(also a possible place for the bypassing resistor).

If you find anything similar to that, then most likely that's where the problem is, because those are possible places for installing the bypassing resistor.

And get the VATS Pack of resistors to work with. One link was already provided, but there are other online sources, as well as a car alarm shop(Al and Ed's). It'll make the job so much simpler.

This link below has some good pics of the connector and the wires, even one with a properly connected bypassing resistor. Look at all of them thoughout the thread, particularly post #18.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...plain-why.html

 

I found a site that said all possible resistances and went through "500" resistors to put those 15 different resistances together. I have no way of testing which out of the 15 are the correct resistance. Didnt mean to sound like a ***** when I posted that.


Thanks for the good info, I had no idea the wires were that far back in the dash, Ill look again and take this info into acknowledgment.

 

So you don't have an multi-meter then? You really should have one if you are gonna mess with the VATS. Stereo shops carry the VATS packs too. You only need to measure ohms of resistance coming from the computer between the two white wires-then, match up the resistance diodes and use it as a jumper-done. The VATS packs lists the values right on them. Also, pull the drivers side kick panel and look for the VATS relay...maybe it's bad. Also, your ignition switch could be sticking too.

 

who said I didnt have a multimeter? where is everyone getting their info from? How would I be able to put together a bunch of unmarked resistors with no multimeter?

I found no 2 white wires together, no orange wrap, nothing but a black wrap with 2 yellow wires in it connected to a purple/black and white/black wire. The only other wires coming out of the ignition are connected to a fat grey plug. The starter realay was bypassed by the original owner, but was bypassed the wrong way, the relay was taken off, the solid green wire was clipped and wrapped around pin A,B, and C but not E.

Sometimes when I attempt to start the car it sounds like the starter is only but not catching anything, I attempt to turn it over again and it starts right up.

 

WTH, I just went through that post one more time and looked at that pic, the orange wrap and white wires i dont have, I DO have black wrap and yellow wires, BUT the other side, purple and white, I DO have. Ill post a pic in a few minutes to show that I am NOT going crazy. The wires are clipped but no resistor is connected to either side!!

Pic coming soon

 

Jump the purple and white wires together with the correct resistor. That's all that's needed to correctly bypass VATS... done... nothing more was necessary. The starter relay wiring should never have been touched, but sounds like it was. So fix that, and you should be all set.

 

Its all good! The purple and white wires are the ones you should need to bypass. Although it could be two white wires, ether could be in a orange or black sleeve. You made it sound like you didn't have a multimeter when you said you have no way to measure the right resistance. The combination you made may work but you need to check it and if it has more then a couple resistors together it just gets cumbersome. Good luck and lets see that PIC see if we can figure this out.

 

Ya I just meant I couldnt figure out the right resistance because every time I go out to test which resistance pack out of the 15 starts my car, my car would start without them.


BTW, I made a big deal out of the black sleeve, yellow wire thing because everyone was saying it was impossible, I just wanted to prove i wasnt going crazy

 

The other alternative is to do what I did on my old FWD GM DD. When the vats key barrel went. I went to the yard and got a key barrel from a junker. I unplugged the one in my car , plugged the new one in left it in the ON position and mounted it under the dash. Now my old barrel starts the car and I could now use NON vats keys to start my car. This also insures that the new VATS barrel will not take any wear and tear it only sends the signal from under the dash. My old barrel starts the car.

 

Lol thats a great idea, if I ever have another problem with the VATS this will definitely be my next step.

I was finally able to get the right resistor wired in, I came out to the car this morning and it wouldnt start so I pulled out the resistors and one of them got it going. I am hoping this resistor will keep this from reoccuring.

I checked my codes and got a code 23 and 54

23 Intake air temp sensor error. I haven't looked into this yet.

54 Fuel pump circuit low. I went out to check out my fuel pump and the wires are all screwed up. I am hoping if I rewire it correctly, it will fix the problem.

 

Glad you got vats solved. Too bad someone messed that all up. Otherwise the bypass would've been quick and easy.

I don't know if you've started another thread for the IAT sensor code, but regarding that... have you had the air cleaner assembly off recently? If so, then when re-installing it, it's very easy to forget to plug-in the IAT sensor. So my guess is it's simply unplugged.

Didn't you have another thread about an unplugged connector laying on your intake? If you haven't identified that yet, that might be what it's for.

 

Ya I did have another thread about an unplugged sensor. I have been looking and looking for a place for that plug but have no luck. If indeed it is the IAT sensor then I believe it shows its location in my haynes manual. Thanks alot

 

The IAT sensor is mounted in the bottom of the air cleaner assembly, through a hole about 1/2" diameter.

 

im pretty sure the sensor is missing. I have the 2-wire plug but I cant find anything it goes to. I see a spot where a small sensor could fit on the intake manifold under the air cleaner assembly but no sensor without a plug anywhere

 

I'm using your quote to be sure I'm not misunderstanding what you said or meant:

The IAT sensor doesn't go into the manifold, it fits directly into the air cleaner, up through the bottom of it. On TPI, it's in (but can be mounted ahead of) the air plenum. But on TBI, it's inside the air cleaner assembly.

So remove the air cleaner lid, and look inside toward the back. You should see the oil breather element, the odd-looking thermac vacuum switch, and the IAT sensor(or a 1/2" round hole where the sensor should be). If the sensor is there, then look underneath the assembly to see if it's plugged in.

 

Ok its mounted TO the air cleaner assembly. Maybe my air cleaner isn't one for an actual camaro because The guy sold me the car with 2 other air cleaners in the trunk. I will look closer to see if I can find it, if not Ill see if any of the other ones have it

 

The air cleaner in the pic in your other thread looks correct for your engine, so it should have a sensor in it, or at least a hole for a sensor. But it's possible your air cleaner could've come from an LG4 carb'd engine before they were sensored. They used the same air cleaner.

 

Ya the air cleaner fits perfectly in my car but there is absolutely no sensor or even a hole for one. The other 2 in the trunk are 2 small air cleaners that definitely wouldnt fit in my car.

Are there air cleaner upgrades that have a hole for the sensor or can I tap in a hole somewhere?

I was cleaning the air cleaner with some carb cleaner and revealed that the air cleaner is an ugly yellow color.

 

Then it's a pretty good bet that the unconnected connector you found laying on the intake is for the missing air temp sensor, which I believe might be technically called the Air Charge Temperature Sensor... at least that's what Auto Zone calls it. Mine looked similar:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...&parentId=59-0

When I had my '89 TBI, I swapped to a dual snorkel air cleaner from an '84 L69 HO engine, which wasn't made for a sensor, so I simply drilled a hole in the bottom of it to accommodate the sensor, and the sensor sort of snapped in. That's all you'd have to do.

That car is gone, but I just MIGHT, pretty sure I do, still have that stock air cleaner assembly laying in storage... without the sensor, of course, having put that in the other intake I put on that car, but at least it's got the hole for it, and it's clean and nice... a good K&N air filter in it too.

But also check to be sure the thermac vacuum hose is connected, because that's also a temperature sensor. The hose is in your pic, running around the outside edge of the bottom of the air cleaner. That's the odd-looking switch/sensor in the air cleaner that looks like this:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...&parentId=59-0

 

Yup I definitely dont have that sensor, I'm probably going to get an aftermarket air cleaner and drill in a new hole because this yellow cleaner is burning my eyes lol.




Ya I made sure that was plugged in correctly, one port goes to the round thing on the snorkel and the other goes to the throttle.



BTW, you've been a really big help, thanks alot man