Is this VATS causing this problem?
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Is this VATS causing this problem?
I made an analog to digital dash swap in my 89 GTA with an 88 digital harness, my car was originally VATS enabled and this harness doesn't have any VATS options so I used resistors on the steering column wire bypass and had a prom burned with the VATS taken out. But when I try to turn the key the dashboard dies and only the parking light indicator stays on. I took a video of it here . Note this is a T5 car but I looked at the neutral safety switch (the one for automatic trans) that plugs into the shifter plate and jumped the yellow and purple cable it started to crank, here is a video any help would be greatly appreciated
Last edited by Firechicken86; 05-05-2013 at 01:05 AM.
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
I don't have any schematics, It doesn't seem to lose complete power because the park light indicator stays on for some reason
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Haha good call. In the second video it is cranking but only with that wire jumping the yellow and purple wire on the auto trans safety switch thing. Oddly there is no starter enable relay on this harness at all, I've looked on the harness itself and behind the tape on the kick panel but no luck
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Car: 82 Z28
Engine: 383 SP EFI/ 4150 TB
Transmission: T400
Axle/Gears: QP 9" 3.73
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
double post
Last edited by vetteoz; 05-05-2013 at 07:57 AM.
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Car: 82 Z28
Engine: 383 SP EFI/ 4150 TB
Transmission: T400
Axle/Gears: QP 9" 3.73
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Usually indicates either a low battery , dirty/ bad/ loose battery cable connections or a massive current drain ( dodgy starter ) sucking up all the power.
Once again a obvious need to complete the starter circuit
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
If you are using a non VATS harness what are the resistors going to do?
Usually indicates either a low battery , dirty/ bad/ loose battery cable connections or a massive current drain ( dodgy starter ) sucking up all the power.
Does the dash come back when you release off the key ?
Does the dash come back when you release off the key ?
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Car: 82 Z28
Engine: 383 SP EFI/ 4150 TB
Transmission: T400
Axle/Gears: QP 9" 3.73
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Read
https://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system
When the VATS module sees the correct key resistance, it closes the starter relay and sends a signal to the computer to fire the injectors .PERIOD
If you have VATS deleted on the chip then anything else VATS related is redundant ; so long as you bypass the starter relay ( which you no longer have anyway)
If you put resistors on your steering column wiring then they would be connected to nothing and your new non VATS harness would not have a connection to your original VATS module
Batt can be 100% but that does not mean full juice is getting to the starter
Jumper the starter solenoid terminal direct to batt Pos+ and see if anything changes.
If it cranks faster then problem is with wiring from Ign switch.
If it doesn't consider bad starter
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Car: 91' Firebird SOLD
Engine: 350 TPI +bolt-ons
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3:42
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Do you know where your starter enable relay is located? It's behind the kick panel where the latch to pop your hood is. Did you check? You don't need to do anything else after that is VATS is deleted in the chip.
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Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/dfi-...move-chip.html
Last edited by Tuned Performance; 05-05-2013 at 01:34 PM. Reason: error
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
For some reason there is no starter enable relay on this harness. I could be wrong but I believe they cam with 89+ harnesses and this is an 88
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
I think I might just play it safe and order a vats bypass module
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Got it running! turns out the chips legs wasn't touching all of the terminals on the memcal so I soldered them all and fired right up. The only issues now is that when the ignition is turned halfway, the radiator fan is constantly running
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Car: 82 Z28
Engine: 383 SP EFI/ 4150 TB
Transmission: T400
Axle/Gears: QP 9" 3.73
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
it is usually a indication of a memcal or tune problem.
The ECM is in "Limp Home" mode because it can't read the tune on the memcal correctly
May be a physical problem, ie, the memcal not sitting right or a problem with the tune itself
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...imary-fan.html
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
I think you're right but the weird thing was it didn't happen before I soldered the chip. Does it matter which way the chip is facing on the memcal?
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Car: 1989 Trans am GTA
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: t56 6 speed
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Is this VATS causing this problem?
Okay I found out it's definitely the memcal/chip. I turned they key and put pressure on various parts of the chip and the fan would sometimes turn off. I do have the notch facing outwards and there is no blinking check engine light so I think I just have to check my solder points and readjust
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