whats up guys. im new here i have a stock 89 camaro rs. every once and a while, like right now my car wont start. i have a brand new key. when i turn the key the ses and security light come on. the ses blinks once. but they both stay on. the car makes no attempt to start. i have power to everything just no start. after i keep trying it for 15 or 20 min it starts right up . could vats be the problem? usualy when i turn the key one click the security light comes on but goes right off and ses stays on but not when i have his problem.
any one have any ideas?

big mike

 

I know that when my VATS went bad I couldn't start the car anymore at all. Same thing, lights flash and power to radio but coudnt start. although I dont think mine actually went bad, I think it was related to wiring in the column that had been there from when I swapped the steering wheel or when the person before me disconnected the airbag. Some wire was just disconnected and causing problems. But it def sounds like you're having some kind of electrical issue.

 

Every thing is original as far as I know. It has to be in the steering column though because I don't touch any thing on the motor . I just sit back and smoke a cig or two and keep trying it until it starts

 

Any ideas where I should start I have never messed with a column before

 

next time it does it pull the key out wait 5 minutes try again,should fire right up.theres an article on the homepage ,tells all about vats and how to fix,later jimmy

 

What usually happens with them is the two really thin wires that go from the pellet reading module on the ignition tumbler down into the column get broken. These wires move every time you turn the key tumbler to start the car. They don't usually snap in half, in other words, the insulation is usually still intact, but the copper strands inside the insulation start to break, causing erratic starting. That's what happened on my 89 anyways. I tore the column apart and repaired the wires, only to have them break again in just a couple of weeks. The way I fixed mine permanently was to remove the VATS tumbler from the column, repair the wires again, shove the key in it, plug the 2 wire connector back in at the base of the column, and just tuck it up under the driver's side hush panel. Then go to the parts store and just buy a standard, non-VATS key cylinder, and put it in the column. The standard key tumbler fits the VATS column just fine, plus they're dirt cheap compared to a new VATS style key cylinder. I fixed mine this way about 8 years ago and haven't had a single problem with it since. Also, you can still enable the VATS whenvever you want to by simply reaching up under the dash and pulling the VATS key out of the cylinder.