Something for everyone to ponder. Recently, me and the wife were out enjoying our little red 94 six speed Corvette. After filling our personal tanks at the local diner, I started car and backed out of the parking spot. Upon leaving the parking lot I noticed a young employee struggling with a large L-Cart full of cardboard and being tossed about because of the high winds. Me being the good samaritan that I am pulled up, opened door, and shut off the ignition all in one fell swoop. After taming down the cardboard situation, I jumped back into the car and tried to start it. NOTHING!! Tried a few more times and then noticed a light to the left of the speedo that read SECURITY as I turned the key. I could hear that the fuel pump was running and the dash was powering up as usual, so I figured that I had nothing to loose by trying a good old fashioned push start. Transmission in 3rd, key on, and my better half behind the wheel, I pushed the car (quite easily - very light) up to a respectable old man speed. The good looking driver then dumped the clutch and EUREKA the engine fired. Drove home and parked in garage and tried it. Engine starts with key switch every time now. Anyone else ever disable thier own car in such a reckless way??

 

I had owned my 94 for about 2 weeks...hadn't even heard of the VATS system (found this forum after I bought the car and hadn't bothered to read the owners manual yet) and pulled into a gas station to show a friend my "new" vette. I remember partially opening the door as I turned off the engine, showed him under the hood etc etc and climbed back in to start it and...nothing. He gave me a ride down to a local mechanic and after telling him what happened he immediately said "it's got to be your starter". My friend took me back to the car and I tried it for the heck of it and it took right off. Got the owners manual out that very night and poured over it to learn of the VATS...but yet it still took me several months to discover little "glove compartments" in the doors

astepup said that

 

So the moral of the story is not to open your door before you turn off your ignition?

 

So, I'm the new owner of a 94 6Spd....this sounds like valuable information. Anyone care to fill me in?

Thanks!

 

I won't comment on the specifics of the OP's situation but I would guess that maybe a rotation of the door cylinder "might" have reset the security system.

If you're not familiar with the GM VATS ignition key system you might want to educate yourself in advance. Since the car is "new to you" it's also possible it's been defeated. I'd think the easiest way to determine if it's "defeated" would be to take some black plastic tape and cover the "chip in key" on both-sides of key and see if the car will crank. If it does NOT crank then VATS is "active" - if it cranks then it's been defeated. Once you check this and VATS is active you'll need to "WAIT" four or so minutes after you remove the tape to crank the car again, clean the adhesive residue with alcohol or contact cleaner also.

There's 14 resistance codes available for a '94MY ignition. Get your key read for resistance and get a duplicate if you only have one. DO THAT NOW!!

Do you have PKE/FOB for entry? How about an owners manual?

Owners manual: https://my.chevrolet.com/web/portal/managemybrand?g=1

 

I won't comment on the OP's situation either.
But what he describes with shutting the car off with the door open and then not starting, has to be some kind of coincidence.

Shutting the car off with the door open will have no effect on the security system if everything else is right with the car.

 

I believe in the true sense if there was a VATS event preventing cranking, that should disable FEDS also. So seems like pushing to car it would not start either since no injector pulses.

However if there was a VATS event, it could have timed out at the same time the car was being pushed hence the engine was able to start because now it had injector pulses.
Just a theory.

 

I think it was a metorite...you know, the one that passes overhead ever so often that causes Zombies to come alive. Well, it does in the movies anyway.

 

Coincidence I believe is maybe important here but VATS(crank/run) and SECURITY are generally discussed separately. Door ajar, key cylinder, power lock switches are discussed with security NOT VATS(crank/run) but OP or the other poster neither one mentioned a honk (horn) which you might anticipate if a SECURITY (UTD) event.

I put out the VATS info just because the second poster mentioned "NEW TO HIM" !!!!!! I guess we might need to remember the '94MY is also a PKE car!!!!

 

OK

But if the key pellet is read incorrectly by the CCM (and you know what coming), it will trigger a VATS event (that is understood and agreed by all). It will also turn on the security light to a steady light when the key is turned to on. The security light might have additional meanings but will be steady on when VATS is happening.

Kind of sounds like he did have a VATS event, perhaps the cylinder contacts and key just did not make at that moment.

I thought starter solenoid for a while but with the security light steady on, I have gotten away from the starter possibility.

 

O.K. maybe this will clear up a few hazy points. The original situation was, if I remember correctly, car coasting with clutch in, door popped open, then ignition switch turned off. Then I brought the car to a stop and finished exiting. After getting back into the car, tried the key switch and no crank. The key was not removed from the cylinder as my wife was sitting in the car and I was only a few feet away. Tried it several times with a no crank and bold security light illuminated to the left of the speedo under change oil light. At any rate, the bump start worked and car is starting correctly each and every time. Sorry goahstrider, no zombies this time.

 

cessnaguy1965,

I would guess it was more likely either a door switch problem (stuck in as if door was still closed) or the CCM got confused because of the door open signal with key in and engine still running.

The CCM is often mis-understood and thought to be just a switching device, however, it is a computer too.

So, whereas it does receive typical electrical signals (circuit open, circuit closed), and have relays to turn on/off circuits, it also has a processor which interpretes those signals and transmits digital signals to other devices.

That is why when the door switches either stick or fail electrically, weird things can happen (e.g. hatch pops open for no apparent reason).

So, given that it has not happened again, I'd chalk it up to just a confused CCM -- and i'd bet if you repeated the same scenario you might be able to duplicate it too--

Also, just in case, might want to just double-check the door switches and maybe add a bit of vaseline on the plunger (nothing else as it will swell the plastic).

 

Alrighty then. A lot of good info to digest here. Admiral, I would have to say that you are correct that i could probably duplicate the situation, but I am not willing to try!! It's safe to say that I bring the car to complete stop and then shut off the ignition before I open the door. Am also going to take WVZR's advice and get another key made ASAP. Thanks everyone for all the input.

 

my alarm just goes off when i try to start it every now and then and security light just stays solid, i just lock and unlock it and it stops,