I just bought this car and it was working fine until I drove it home. I was thinking it was the VATS acting up so I was trying to bypass it.. I was unable to do so, I put everything back to stock.

Issue is when I turn on the car the security light disappears then I try to crank. I hear a click noise. And when it does start it does a winding noise. So we changed out the battery with a working one. It did not work. So I bought a new starter and still did not work. What could it be? Any one had the same problem?

92 RS Auto 5.0L.

 

If you hear a click noise, where is it coming from and how loud is it? Does it sound like a quiet clicking of a relay under the dash or is it a very loud metal clack under the engine?

 

Very loud metal clack under the engine. Thats why we replaced the starter... Thinking it was that. Also when it does start up. It sounds like it winding up. The guy said that the previous owner might have added a cam in there but nothing to crazy. Could it be that? Or do I have to gut the car and replace with new wire from battery?

 

Yup, you likely have the "Cheby starter plague". The starter circuit tends to deteriorate due to its poor design until one day the car simply won't start.

You need to find 3 key components of the circuit and find out which one is causing a high-resistance load with a big voltage drop which does not allow your starter solenoid to fully engage the bendix.
Diagram available here: http://www.austinthirdgen.org/mkport...nE_starter.jpg

The three components are:
- ignition switch - on top of the steering column - you're looking for a thick yellow wire - test voltage there while cranking
- Starter Enable Relay (driver side, usually by the fuse box or behind the kick panel) - can be identified by the following wires: thick yellow, thick dark green, pink, black/yellow. Test voltage on the two thick wires while cranking.
- shifter switch (in center console, right on the automatic shifter) - the two thick wires: dark green and purple. Test voltage on the two thick wires while cranking.

The component with the highest voltage drop is likely the culprit. Or all three combined, hard to say.

Let us know what you find.
Lou

 

I'm going to keep it as is right now. Not until I get paid. Get paid every 2 weeks. Well my brother has a 91 Iroc 5.0L maybe I can take the things out of his car to test?

 

To test, you do not need to buy or change any parts.
Remember, FIRST comes diagnosis, THEN you replace the bad parts, when you know which ones. Swapping parts blindly is a waste of time and money.
Right now, you just need a voltmeter to find the bad part.

 

I could not wait since its my daily driver. I bypassed the starter relay by connecting Yellow and green wire together. I made sure to crimp them together to get a good connection. It seems to be working so far.

 

Sweet, you got lucky and it worked. Hope it stays working!

 

The only thing that bugs me now it that the car whines at start up. After startup it idles smooth. But thats for another topic.Thanks for your help. At least now I know to cross off the starter and the relay if it happens again.

 

It worked for a week then it stop working. I took out ignition and replaced with new. No dice. So I decided to take it to a shop. Oh man.. Wrong move. They are going to charge me $165 to put back the steering wheel. But another $285 to replace the starter.. Mechanic sure changed the subject when I told him It was a new starter that I bought a week ago.

 

Since last post it was working. Problem came back.. I went under the car and took a look. There is one wire that is not connected to anything.



Looks like is coming from the same place all the other wires are.