When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
Particulars: 1989 Firebird Formula, 5.0 TBI. 5 speed.
problem: put gas in car then it wouldn’t start. Have healthy spay of fuel at the fuel line (loosened the line) into the TB but no spray out of injectors, not even a drip. Car turns over, security light goes out while cranking. It throws codes 14,15,24, and 53.
Any ideas, please?
Autozone checked the ECM and said it was good. I’m not sure how to check the pulse but I’m leaning tword that being the issue. How do you check that and replace if bad?
If you pour a little gas or starter fluid in the throttle body will it fire up at all?
Take some rubbing alcohol and clean the pellet in the key (the metal not the plastic part) based on the code 53, but typically if the security light will go off if if you go from off, to run (not crank) and let it sit for a few seconds then VATS is seeing the key. I'm trying to remember but I think it goes off during the crank cycle in any state. Also once tripped it stays deactivated for several min, I once had a piece of pocket lint stick to the pellet at the gas station and it wouldn't crank had to push it away from the pump since there was a line and wait for it to reset to crank the car. The VATS in my car is still active as a starter disable system with my LS1 swap.
Ignition control module would also be suspect or the pickup coil as pointed out above.
Tuned Performance, are you sure about that “53 is vats”? Some charts say 43 is vats while others say 53 is vats or over voltage or EGR and several others just show it as over voltage or EGR. I’m confused.
Tuned Performance, are you sure about that “53 is vats”? Some charts say 43 is vats while others say 53 is vats or over voltage or EGR and several others just show it as over voltage or EGR. I’m confused.
53- System over voltage – over 17.1 volts OR EGR sensor fault, improper
EGR vacuum OR VATS alert.
Egr fault on 53 is for carborator cars so either your ecm is seeing over volt or a vats fault.
One quick way to see if it’s vats . Remove the prom from the ecm. The car will start but run poorly if this is vats.
The ecm goes into limp home mode since there is no prom. Code 51 will appear.
Not much progress. I remembered I have a key without the resistor in it, so I tried that. It won’t even crank with that key. Both of the “good” keys, the security light comes on for a few seconds then goes out. Car will crank with those keys but no fuel from the injectors. Would a bad vats module cause this?
Well it’s finally running, after took it to mechanic. Turns out the distributor was shot.
A little "inside info" from one of those "mechanic" guys , like the one you paid to fix your car ;
Us mechanics work our miracles by following proper troubleshooting procedure , which GD ,Tuned Performance , and Aviator857 were trying to walk you through before you disappeared from the thread back in March . Had you stuck around you just may have learned a thing or two about troubleshooting (which could come handy in future mechanical endeavors with the car) , and saved some serious coin in the process ...
Last edited by OrangeBird; Jun 28, 2019 at 12:49 PM.
Reason: Edited to include GD
A little "inside info" from one of those "mechanic" guys , like the one you paid to fix your car ;
Us mechanics work our miracles by following proper troubleshooting procedure , which Tuned Performance and Aviator857 were trying to walk you through before you disappeared from the thread back in March . Had you stuck around you just may have learned a thing or two about troubleshooting (which could come handy in future mechanical endeavors with the car) , and saved some serious coin in the process ...
^^^^This.
Like every other 'forum-formatted' website, this one is populated by two groups; those who are knowledgeable/experienced, and those who are not, and there doesn't seem to any 'in-between.' And while there's nothing wrong with being a beginner (we all were at one time), I SMH at how so many such beginners fail to take advantage of the easily-obtained vast amount of know-how available to them in this day and age of instant access to information from just about anywhere in the world. Got a cell phone? Get an answer instantaneously.
Don't take this as a knock on you, opie; it's just an observation of things I see on this, and other interwebz forums by the hour.
Check for the distributor reference pulse. That is the only way the ECU knows the engine is turning and to inject fuel.
GD
Originally Posted by GeneralDisorder
I was the first reply. I said check the distributor...... smh.
GD
Yep , you were . I meant to mention you in my post , and I have edited my post to include you . You nailed it in one post , I wonder how much it cost the OP to disregard the correct free advice and go for the paid advice instead ...
A little "inside info" from one of those "mechanic" guys , like the one you paid to fix your car ;
