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I found this when I removed the drivers side kick panel. Does anyone know what this is and what it does? I assume it is air bag related because of the yellow wire? Thanks
That is your VATS starter interrupt relay , it's not part of your airbag system , and if vats is still functioning properly and hasn't been messed with , it will keep the starter from cranking the engine if the vats module doesn't "see" (read the resistance of) the little "pellet" in the key .
If your car starts normally now , don't mess with it and put it back where you found it .......
Now , file this relay's location in your memory because it can be a great place to start troubleshooting if you ever get the dreaded "Dash lights do everything they're supposed to when turning the key but the starter will not begin cranking the engine" problem .
If , for instance , when turning the key there is +12V at the yellow but not the green then VATS IS killing the starter (for whichever VATS related reason) . But if there is +12V when turning the key on both the yellow AND green (both fat wires) then VATS is fine and the next check is at the neutral safety switch (clutch switch for standard shift) to see if +12V is on the green AND purple wires when attempting to crank it , if yes it's on the purple then your choices would be down to bad starter (solenoid) , bad wiring , or open body connector at the C100 connection .