My problem is the starter seems to be dragging and it won't crank the engine. I have a powermasters high torque starter and the stock LT1 starter. They both don't seem to be getting enough juice to crank the engine and I was wondering if anyone else has ran into this problem.

Thanks
Jay

 

Fuel pump turning on? Check fuel pressure? Spark plugs and wires good? Got a good battery? In other words, are you sure its just the starter?

 

Mine turned out to be the VATS not supplying a good ground (signal wire) to the enable solinoid. Try jumping the signal wire (yellow/purple stripe?) to a good ground instead of the VATS module and see if it cranks.

 

exactly how I figured out originally what the VATS module did. ground the relay and see if it starts.

 

Firebat, the fuel pressure is good. The fuel pump is turning on, I have a new battery, optispark, ICM, alternator, MSD wires, NGK plugs, MSD box, 6AL. So those shouldn't be a problem. I also tested the injectors with a noid light and they all seem to be working correctly.



ACCLR8N, where is the yellow/purple wire located? Where is the VATS located also because I can't seem to find it?


TexasLT1, I can't seem to locate the relay either....do you guys think you can take a photo of the components; (relay and VATS module) showing where they are, if it's not too much of a hastle. TexasLT1, did you ground the dark green wire off the relay?

Thanks for your help guys
Jay

 

Do you have a good ground to the engine block?

 

yeah, I have a good ground to the engine.

 

the fuel pump relay is one of the 2 located above and behind the brake booster, you'll have to check which one it is. unfortunately I don't have my car with me right now at school otherwise I'd take a photo for you. I do believe it is the dark green wire though. I permanently grounded it for a while to get things sorted out. just be aware that the fuel pump will always be on when the key is if you do it that way.

 

I know where the fuel pump relay is located, but I'm trying to find the starter enable relay and the VATS module.
Thanks,
Jay

 

ahhhh ok. there is no starter enable relay that I'm aware of, however the VATS module, at least on the '92, is located on the passenger side of the dash, between the backside of the dash and the firewall. major pain in the *** to get to. the only way that will help you though is to replace the module and repin the connector for the new module. this is what I did to keep VATS working.

 

Why would I need a new module? If I did get a new one, what car model would I get it from? Also, if I ground the purple and yellow wire, will that help? Should you ground it going to the module or coming from the module?
Thanks,
Jay

 

I found the VATS module after I took my dash out to get to it. Here I ran into a problem I don't have a purple/yellow wire, I have a blk/yellow wire and a purp/white wire. Which wire should I ground to get my car started? I also wanted to know if I grounded the dark green wire (pin A3), which is the starter enable, that should also allow me to start the car, right?
Thanks for the help so far,
Jay

 

Sorry, it is yellow/black not yellow/purple. If you unplug the VATS and ground the yellow/black in the wire connector your car will crank if it was a VATS problem like mine. This takes the VATS out of the circuit for cranking. The car will not run this way because the fuel pump and injectors are not getting their signal with it unplugged. If it still doesn't crank then it gets more complicated.

 

Well how do I get the car to run if I delete the VATS?
Thanks
Jay

 

Jay, you need to get the computer reprogrammed to ignore VATS or by one of those $30 bypass modules off e-bay. The by-pass module sends the necessary 30Mhz signal to the computer a VATS module would.

The car should crank though without a VATS signal. Have you tried connecting a wire directly to the small solinoid post on your starter and touching the other end to positive battery (hot wire it). If it cranks then you can work backward up the purple wire to find the problem.

If you are not using the LT1/VATS/Enable relay from the 4th GEN, your old wiring from the 3rd GEN is at the other side of the car. The third gen purple starter lead is in the driver's side firewall pass through (4th GEN goes out the passenger side through the computer engine harness).

 

So far I've had my computer reprogrammed to ignore VATS, I've also grounded the yellow/blk wire from the VATS module. Since I've done this, I haven't tried starting the car because it rained today. Since I've done this I should be able to completely remove the VATS module? Furthermore, I shouldn't have to worry about the signal from the cranking fuel enable input, that the VATS module sends to the computer? If this does not work, what do you guys suggest?
Thanks,
Jay

 

It should work. The VATS box can be completely removed if you ground the yellow/black wire going to the theft det relay.

You could go an extra step further and remove the theft det relay. It would be wired just like the non-VATS thirdgens then. Based on this schematic: http://shbox.com/1/pass_key.jpg, you would remove the relay and put a wire from the brown wire on the transmission switch to the purple wire on the starter solenoid. Then the extra wires that are just leftover, you would cut off.

 

Firebat, can you repost the link because it doesn't seem to be working.
Thanks,
Jay

 

http://shbox.com/1/pass_key.jpg

 

After deleting the VATS, I am now able to at least try and crank the engine. However, the starter is dragging and rotating the engine slowly. I tried hot wiring the battery directly to the starter solenoid to see if the problem was somewhere other than the starter, but same problem is still present. It just seems to be dragging. The only thing I can think of at this point is maybe the starter is bad or the circuit between the starter and battery is defective. Furthermore, I guess it's possible that my new battery could be bad. If any of you guys have solutions I would greatly appreciate it because the swap is a month old today and it's beginning to **** me off like my girlfriend.
Thanks
Jay

 

Time to dig out the multimeter and measure the volts at the battery and at the starter. Less than 11 volts could be the problem.

Did you put the spacers shims back in with your starter? Excessive compression could be ruled out by removing the plugs. Should turn over easily then. Not much help.

 

If I'm getting less than 11 volts at the starter, what does that imply? Should I use a different battery cable to the starter, do you think that would fix the problem?
Thanks for your help, you guys have been very helpful,
Jay

 

A large voltage drop from the battery to the starter points to replacing the battery cable and/or ground cable. If the voltage is low at the battery and won't charge, its the battery.

Most likely that isn't you problem though, but battery cables aren't expensive and you could rule it out.

 

i know u had said that the batt was new, but i think you killed it some how. try taking the battery to a auto parts store and have it cked, and also u need to find your voltage leak, something isnt hooked up right or a wire isnt ground well. first get the battery cked, i trashe a battery also during my lt1 install

 

Guys,

Thanks for all you help! The car is finally running the only problem is now it won't shut off. So if anybody could help me with that problem is would great.

Also did anyone using the 4L60E have a problem is with the shift control cable attaching to the manual lever on the transmission. Mine seems to be a little too short and it won't allow me to tighten it down in neutral how you are supposed to.


Thanks,
Jay

If I delete my A/C can I still get my blower to work. So I can have a heater.

 

It sounds like you hooked up a wire that was supposed to go to ignition power to battery power. If you delete the A/C your heater will still work.

 

Bingo,

I pretty sure that I didn't hook up the ignition power to battery power.


This is how I have it wired though...

Battery Power (Org Wire) goes to Constant Battery Power
Ignition Power (Red Wire) goes to Power Dist. (Pink Wire) at Bulkhead
Oil Pressure (Tan Wire) goes to Oil Pressure (Tan Wire) at Bulkhead
Coolant Temp (Dk. Green Wire) goes Coolant Temp (Dk. Green Wire) at Bulkhead
Starter (Yellow Wire) goes to Crank/Starter (Purple Wire) at Bulkhead

I do have a Pink/Black Wire coming from the Bulkhead that I have going to constant battery power.
Also, the resistor that I have in-line going to the alternator burned up so I don't know if that would help to better find the problem.

Thanks for all the help,
Jay

 

If you have any pink wire with a black stripe hooked to battery constant power, then you do have a wire incorrect. The pink wires with black stripes are ignition hot. If the wire you have it hooked to has power it could be feeding the ignition system and keeping it active. I think you are going to have to go through your harness and start testing wires. I am also not sure why you have a yellow starter wire unless you bypassed the neutral switch or the start enable relay.

 

The solid pink wires (no stripe) as well are never connected to constant power red or orange.

 

Sorry, forgot about those. If you can post some other connections you made, we will help you figure out your problem. I actually enjoy this kind of stuff. I enjoyed making the harness for my car. The A/C on the other hand...SUCKED.

 

I have a yellow starter wire because I'm using an Impala SS harness.
So where should the pink and black wire go that coming from my bulkhead connector?
I dont have any other solid pink or other wires going to constant power except for what I listed.

Thanks,
Jay

 

Other Wires I have hooked up.

VSS-------->Gray Wire C207 (no yellow buffer box)
Tach-------> White Wire (Bulkhead Connector)
TCC Power -------->Blk/Org C207
Fuel Pump Relay------> Gray Wire ( Bulkhead Connector)


Jay

 

The solid Pink wires usually come straight from the ignition switch. They power the factory ignition switch. Any pink wire that comes from the C100 bulkhead or the C207 under the dash are ignition hot sources. I found diagrams and hooked the LT1 harness up in the same manner as the original harness was. I didn't want to overload any circuits. You may not even use all your ignition hot sources. I think I used the pink/blk wire that came out of the bulkhead to power some of the LT1 sensors.

 

I used C100 to power some sensors, tach, temp, oil pressure, ignition power for fan relays, back-up lights(T56) and for some random grounds. C207 was used to power injectors, PCM, ALDL connections and speedo.

 

Bingo,

So I really don't need that pink & black wire connected to anything?

Thanks,

Jay

 

As long as you have all your circuits powered, no. I woundn't remove it though. It could be useful to run accesories in the future.

 

I do have all my circuits powered, I will just disconnect but I won't remove it.

Thanks for the help,
Jay

By the way what ohm resistor should I use for the alternator to work correctly?

 

I didn't use a resistor at all. My alternator has one red wire in the plug that I hooked up to a brownish/tan wire that ran to my original alternator(C100). My car charges fine and my amp guage is accurate.

To reply to an earlier post about the start/enable relay: it is located behind the drivers side kick panel on 89-92 models.