I just purchased a 91 RS 305 TBI and it started fine yesterday, but i went out to start it today and it wouldnt even crank. The solenoid wouldnt even click on the starter. I checked all the fuses underneath the dash, check to make sure it was in park (even tried neutral), battery is holding 12V great. Im going to remove the starter tonight and take it to autozone to have it checked. It seems that it might be computer related because the service engine soon light is on and it ran a code 53, which said charging system over voltage?!?! Im not sure that its the starter but im going to check it. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

Also, i checked the battery connections and the body ground. Also checked the connections to the starter and ground to block. I tried reseting the ecm like it says in the manual by disconnecting the power to it, ive even tried disconnecting the battery and tried jumping the car. If its not the starter i dont know what it is. I guess ill know if its the starter or not later this evening.

 

CODE 53 for 1991 Camaro with 5.0 is for the VATS Circuit (Vehicle Anti-Theft System). Replacing the battery, starter, wiring whatever will not fix the problem. I do not know where you got that Code 53 is charging system over voltage, but that is wrong. This info comes out of the GM service manual (Camaro 1991) page 6E2-A-1.

The problem could be your key (yes they do go bad), it could be the wires for ign lock cylinder, the VATS module, or ECM. Usually it is the tiny wires in the steering column that break or wear insulation off.

The first thing is cleaning the pill on the key and inside the lock cylinder.

 

Yeah i dont know why my haynes manual said over voltage. It definitely seems like a vats problem. Im pretty sure its not the ecm, the car came with two and ive tried both. What is best to clean the key with? Ill try and hunt down those wires. Where exactly were they? Up on the column? I thought about trying to splice a resistor the same as the key into the VATS circuit instead of buying a new key, its def. a lot cheaper. If the key is bad, will the resistance across the chip be much different than it should?

thanks for all of your help

 

Just wipe the key clean and check the resistance with the ohm meter on your voltmeter. When mine went bad, the reading on the ohmmeter just jumped around, changing every second, A good key shows the same, constant resistance.

The wires are run through the column, looking under at the base of the column you will see all the wires, I will look tomorrow to see what color the VATS wires are.

There is also the starter enable relay, it is behind the drivers kick panel. it can go out.

 

I got it to crank. I actually jumpered the green and yellow wires and it cranks, but i still have no spark at the plugs. I do have spark coming from the coil. I replaced the ignition module and still nothing. I checked resistance across the pickup coil and it was about 812, the manual says between 500 and 1500. I am stumped.

 

vats wires are normally white on most gm's. As far as the spark goes if it is coming out of the coil, you either have a bad rotor or the button in the cap is shot.

as far as the resistor goes for putting in line it will work, many places that install remote starts will solder resistors into the vats wiring to allow the car to start without the key.

 

Ok, i have spark. Ive moved this thread into the electronics since it seems to be a vats problem.