HI.....This is my first post on this board. I've got a question re: VATS. I took my car (1988 Trans Am, 305 TPI) out of storage after a year last week. Everything was good to go. I turned the key and nothing. Not even a crank. The battery is good. Power to everything. The odd thing is that I don't hear my fuel pump feeding fuel to the motor when I turn the key on. I checked the starter and even replaced it. Nothing. The odd thing here is that there is power to the starter from the battery but when I go to start the car there's no power from the ignition to the starter. What is stopping the starter and fuel pump from receiving power??? When I bought my car 5 years ago it came with plain keys. No chip. But under the dash on the driver side, I found a black box with about 10 wires going into it. I was told by my mechanic that that is my factory alarm and that it was engaged. I said that can't be because the key has no chip. Plus there's no bulb behind the security word on the dash. I just ordered a new theft deterrent relay(starter enable relay) will this help?? Or does someone out there know what is really going on here. Thanks for any help. It will be much appreciated.

:hail:

 

Didn't VATS start up in '89? I'm betting that a fuseable link has blown. Do you have any power inside the car (dome light, radio, etc) at all?

 

Thanks for the reply! I was beging to think nobody cared Anyways....Your right. VATS did start after 1989. Power is going to all options. Dome, windows, door locks, radio, dash(digital). The service engine light stays on. Only no power to starter or fuel pump when I turn the key over.

One more question, if VATS stated in 1989 then why do I have the word security on my dash? There's no bulb behind it.

 

Well, I know 88 GTA's have VATS. If you do have a VATS system & it malfunctions, the check engine light should come on & set a code 44. If your car never had resistor keys since you've owned it, perhaps the former owner tricked the VATS system with a wired in resistor. Then, the problem you are having is the wired in resistor fell out. Check out the tech articles on this website which will describe how to circumvent the VATS system. I know my answer has alot of "supposes" in it, but I'm trying to make sense out of the facts you provided.

 

My car was made in late 1987, which makes it an early 1988 model. It's not a GTA. It came from the factory as a Trans Am, but, came fully loaded with all the options that a GTA did with the exception that mine is a 305 and I have drum brakes. My Snap-On portable diagnostic kit reads no codes. I've tried jumping terminals A & B to read codes but all I get is code 12. I will check to see if the previous owner wired a resistor. But I'm also going to see if the ignition has the grove for the chip. I could swear that it looked normal. Then again I never did pay attention to it.

Just some more info if it helps. I do have an aftermarket alarm on the car. I got it one week after I bought my car 5 years ago and never had any problems with it or the car.

Thanks for the suggestions and keep'em coming. I'm learning so much about my car from this board and web site that I'm convinced I'm going to know more than my mechanic!

 

Check the ECM/fuel pump fuse. Yours should be located on the right side of the radiator...it has 2 wires going to a fuse holder with a removable cover on it. Sorry, don't have a photo but Vader usually has all the cool pics!

 

One more thing....anyone out there have a picture of the VATS? I want to know if this black box I found by the fuse box is the VATS.

 

I /think/ if the fuel pump/ecm fuse was blown, he wouldn't be able to read code 12 from the ALDL. The Snap-On display would read "no computer connected", or, something similar. Er, well, it's that way on my '86. The ring terminal at the positive junction block (on the passenger side of the radiator support) for that fuel pump/ecm fuse died, and my mechanic couldn't read ANYTHING from the computer. It does seem like the best idea, though. The fuse should be in the spot IROC mentioned, but with a red and orange wire coming from it. If the fuse looks fine, try throwing a meter on it, to make sure it IS fine. If there's no 12 volts at that fuse at all, check that ring terminal I mentioned.

The car would still crank, though. Aren't there some fusable links by the battery? Or are those for the flip-up headlights?

Maybe you have the security light because of what FJK said... if 88 GTA's received VATS, GM might've used the same dash, even though your car is a T/A, made in late '87?

 

Is your car a manual? Its a longshot but my problem with my car was a simple adjustment of my clutch safety switch...

 

Good news!!!!! Car finally turned over and started. My mechanic, don't really understand what he did, started the car from underneath. He apparently wired a wire from the battery to the starter or something like that. So it's fair to say that the car does not have VATS. The problem we think know is in the ignition or wiring. However my mechanic thinks that my aftermarket alarm is the problem but I don't think so. Based on what I've read on this board I'm confident that the problem is in the ignition or wiring.

THANKS to those who replied and offered there knowledge and experiance.:rockon:

 

if it started from under the hood. u should check ur nuetral safety switch( if auto) or ur clutch switch if maual. cuz i had the same problem and it was bad contact connections at the nuetral saftey switch. i had to bend the contacts so the could make better contact with the switch terminals

 

89RJcamaroRS.........I'll try that on Saturday. Once the problem is fixed and the car is running back to normal, I'll post it on this thread, post whatever it's called. Thanks.

 

Problem solved!!!!!!!! It was the ignition switch. Apperantly GM cars are known for the ignition switch sliding out of place. When this happens, once the key is turned over to crank the rod moves upward to strike the ignition switch. But because the switch has slid out of place no contact is made thus no start from the motor. Thanks to those who replied with their suggestions. I did infact try them all. In case your wondering how I solved this, easy. Its called having an experianced mechanic (my Uncle) who is familiar with flaws like this in cars. That's why he owns the shop and not his mechanics working for him who cut, jumped every wire under my dash because they were so convinced that the problem was the alarm. Now I know why he can't go on vactions or leave the shop for 5 minutes. In case your wondering where he was all last week while my car was in the shop....he was recovering from triple heart valve replacement surgery.

Employess- One week, lots of loose wires and no running car.
Owner - 5 minutes and problem solved.

Go figure!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Best wishes to your uncle. Did they do a three-angle valve job? J/K My F-I-L just went through a similar "valve grind" and is doing better than he has for years. I hope your situation turns out as well.