i just bought a 1989 rs. t-top 5spd. 2.8. i am needing help getting it going. here is what is working:

fuel pump.
starter cut-off is bypassed so it cranks.

here is what isnt working:
no spark.
wont start.

here is what i am doing to fix it:
new battery
coil
cap
rotor
plugs
wires
pick-up coil
icm
oil change
radiator flush
air filter

so i also bought a resistor kit with all 15 resistors for the vats as my security light is on. it has a none vats ignition switch installed by p.o. so i will have to try all 15 resistors untill one works. so what exactly does vats stop from happening? and anything else i should replace?

 

ok i tried all 150 resistors and security light stays on. i unhooked the battery between each test. is there a way to bypass vats? kinda need this car running now.

 

VATS stops two things from happening when it's not seeing the correct key resistance , #1 being that it won't crank the starter , and #2 being that it won't spray the injectors . Killing the spark is not a function of VATS and needs to be troubleshot separately . It sounds like you do have VATS issues since the light won't go out , and you have ignition issues with the no spark . Since you now know spark is separate from VATS , troubleshoot that first , and then see what VATS needs ....

 

ok ty. i pulled the disi. damn thing was covered in rust. wires from the pick up coil to the icm were shot. so cleand up the rust and got it all put back together. new coil is on. now just plugs and wires

 

also what else besids vats controls the injectors? i was told that if no spark the no signal for injectors?

 

ok new parts are all installed. now i have spark. timing is way off so imma pull disi again tomorrow and reset from tdc. now how can i get the injectors going? i only have fuel going if i run a jumper from the pink wire to the orange under the hood. what does that do exactly?

 

ok guys i need help bad. i got it running. runs good. has knock at high rpm but sat for a year so i hope its just a stuck lifter. got alot quiter after oil chang and runing a few mins. temp is normal.

took it for the first drive anddddd......i can walk faster. couldnt even make it back up the very slight hill to get back home....i had to do that part in reverse. any ideas why its so underpowered?