OK so i got a problem with Sharleen (my car) she doesn't want to start sometimes. for the most part my car seems to be fine and starts fine as well, but once in a while it wont start. When i put the key in the ignition and turn it, it wont start it wont even crank and sometimes i have to wait like 20 min for it to start up again Electricity is not a problem so i know its not the battery. at first i thought it was my starter going out but it cranks over and over when i start it manual. so now i know its not my starter. last thing on my mind was a bad ignition switch, but i don't know. any suggestions

 

It sounds like the VATS (Vehicle Anti-Theft System). Do a search it's been answered a 1000 times.

Good Luck

 

There are "eleventy million" (a slight exageration) electrical connections between the battery and the starter motor. The starter solenoid needs 11-12 volts to energize reliably, certainly at least 10 volts. A little bit of dirt, corrosion, or anything that would cause resistance in any one of those connections will reduce the voltage getting to the starter solenoid, and it won't energize. A small relay will pull in with as little as 7 or 8 volts maybe even less.

The solution to your problem, if it isn't vats related is to install a small relay like a Bosche relay near your starter motor. It will have 5 terminals and you will use 4 of them. The terminals will be marked as follows. 2 terminals will go to either side of the relay coil. Typically they will be shown on the relay with an international electrical coil symbol, or simply marked A & B. The other 3 terminals will be marked N.O. (normally open) N.C. (normally closed), and C. (common). Remove the solenoid wire (small wire) from your starter solenoid, and hook it up to the A terminal (energizes relay coil). Run a new wire from the B terminal to a good ground. Run a #10 gauge wire directly from your battery to the C. or common terminal on the relay. Use an inline fuseholder with a 20-30 amp fuse to protect your car from catching on fire if the wire shorts against anything. Put the fuse holder near the battery. Finally run the a new wire from the N.O. terminal to the starter solenoid. You will begin to realise how many electrical connections are involved when you turn the key and need to wait 1/2 second for the electricity to energize the starter! There is one possible pitfall to this fix. If you have a power hatch release and an automatic tranny, when you hit the button, it will energize the starter. One of those "eleventy million" connections is a plug near the tranny that requires the automatic trans to be in "park" to energize the hatch release. Unfortunately this switch grounds through the starter circuit and results in the starter truning on when you hit the hatch release. The fix is to wire it like a stick shift car. Both plugs are there in all cars and both are identical. You just switch the plug in from the plug for the auto tranny, to the one for the stick shift and the hatch release is now wired through the hand brake, so that you need to have the hand brake set in order to release the hatch.

 

Its only the VATS if the security light comes on and does not go out.

Its probably the electrical circuit like Russ described. Except the connection for the hatch release is only in the later cars, 90-92.

On my 92 RS it was the park/neutral switch under the steering column. Its a white or beige colored piece that is connected to the key. Turning the key moved this switch which gave voltage to the starter. It wasnt making good contact so the starter wasnt getting enough voltage. It would only make a clunk as it tried to start. The fix is to wire in a relay as Russ described. That way the key only has to energize the relay, while the relay provides full power to the starter.