I have been having vats problems with my 1986 for the last year, when I turn the key car is dead,nothing no start just dash lights up. I went ahead and got the resistance of my key and by-passed it with some resistors tied into ignition wire. Car started for a wile then same thing car dead when turning key just dash lights up. Whent to step 2 on vats suck page and followed instructions on grounding starter relay. Car started for 2 days then car would try to start but no fuel getting to engine. Took car in to be checked out and they found a melted neutral safety back-up switch, replaced it for 289.00. Car started again for another two weeks then car wouldent start again. Same problem turn key nothing dead just dash lights work. Was going to have a new chip burned from pcm and have vats disabled for good. My question is I followed every step on the vats suck page and last thing says to have chip re-programed with out vats. Has anyone in here done this, and is there anything else I can do before I have vats disabled? I have used the search function in here and have tried alot of things to fix my vats problem but don't know what else to do.

 

I would just do what I did and get a vats bypass kit. Don't mess with the electronics on a 24 year old vehicle or you're gonna be chasing ghosts lookin like a dog chasing its tail for hours on end. Most likely something could have slightly crapped out in the ecm in combination with the vats system. When mine started crappin out and randomly clicking and s*** right before leaving me stranded in parking lots, I accepted this inevitability. You will too if you're wise.They should have a kit for your year. Atleast with the kit you have two new benefits because there's a switch for it: 1.) You have a better anti-theft system at the flip of a switch and 2.) you can actually drive your car.

 

I would do more testing to make sure it is even a vats problem. Hook up at light to the s term of the starter the next time it does not crank see if lights up or not while you are cranking. Or if you can catch it while acting up have someone turn to crank while you have a test light or volt meter on the s term and see if you have voltage or a light.