Hey folks. Trying to diagnose several issues going on in my 92 Firebird TransAm.

Issue 1: Instrument panel behind the MPG and RPMs doesn’t light up. I get lights for INFL. REST, Seatbelt, Service Engine Soon and Security light when turning the key into the On position. No other dash lights work.

Issue 2: Monday the car stalled and then would not start back up. Not getting a crank sound when turning the key. From what I understand? if it was a bad starter, it would not have stalled, it just would not have started in the first place. So I have started trying to chase down a relay or a fuse that controls the starter.

So I got down under the kick panel to look at the fusebox and I see several empty slots. Should these all have something in them? I tried looking at what fuses control what in my manual, but as luck would have it, the pages are missing right after the partial fuse map so if someone has a picture of that other page that would be AMAZING.

Any help you all can provide is greatly appreciated.

 

No fuses are missing in that picture
The ones on the left arent fuse slots, the ones on the right are fuse slots but their are no pins in them, so even if you tried to put fuses in those holes the fuses would fall out.

 

It kinda sounds like you are having a problem with your VATS. I had a problem with mine when I first got my car. I ended up measuring the resistance in my key and then wired in a variable resistor that I matched to that resistance.

 

YOOOO!!! I’m digging into the kick panel looking for the starter relay to test it and:

1. Can’t find the relay. Can someone point me to it? Other posts said it should be in the side panel but I don’t seem to see it.

2. What the heck are these snipped wires supposed to go to???

 

On later birds I think they put the starter enable relay up under the drivers side dash.
not sure what the cut wires were.

 

As for illumination of dash bulbs do any of the bulbs light up ?

 

@Tuned Performance those pics are under the drivers side. Are you saying I need to look closer to the steering column?

As for lights, I get lights for INFL. REST, Seatbelt, Service Engine Soon and Security light when turning the key into the On position. No other dash lights work.

 

I think the enable relay is between the column and left side dash. Illumination power comes off headlight switch. Austin thirdgen has the schematics. I believe there was a picture of your relay location on tgo but was posted years ago not sure the thread link.

 

That short green wire looks to be spliced into the courtesy light. If so, maybe those 3 wires were for an alarm system. Whats the arrow pointing to? Kinda looks like a relay, maybe.

 

Thanks. Found the starter relay and replaced it. Didn’t solve my starting issue. Tested the power coming into the starter and not even getting 1v at the starter. Going to chase that wire tomorrow I guess to find where the fault is.

 

Regarding lighting in your gauges....

All the back-lighting in the gauge panel is powered by the Gages fuse. If any of the gauge pod has backlighting then that means the fuse is fine and the problem is local to the gauge pod.

The gauge pod itself has a printed screen on the back. The two left side gauge pods are backlit on the same circuit. The two right side gauge pods are backlit on a different circuit. I would check the wiring at the connector to the gauge pod and make sure it's getting power to the side that's dead. You'll have to remove the whole gauge pod from the dash to get to the wiring behind it. You can use a pencil eraser to clean up the electrical contacts and the little copper strips where the connectors and light bulbs touch the printed screen.

 

Regarding car dying and not cranking....

My intuition is you lost power to some of your main power distribution, perhaps a blown fusible link, or a bad contact in the main electrical switch box on the steering column. Seems you still have power to the switched side of your fuse box. But maybe check whether you have power to the unswitched side of your fuse box, things like headlights and power seats.

The starter wiring doesn't even go through the fuse box. It's goes through that switch box on the steering column and to a gear or clutch interlock and works its way down to the start relay and then to the starter.

Based on what we know now, I don't think you have a problem with VATS (vehicle anti-theft system). I think VATS is only interactive while trying to start the vehicle, and if it develops a problem while driving then you could keep driving all day as long as you don't shut off the engine.

 

Your GAUGES fuse is missing in this picture, I'm going to assume it was removed during your troubleshooting? Have you checked your INST LPS fuse? this will supply power to the dash lights, this should be a 5 amp fuse and you have a 10 amp fuse there.

 

Yes. I had removed that before taking the pic. I also noticed the 10amp where a 5 should have been and replaced it.

 

With installing the 5 amp fuse in INST LPS no change?

 

No change.