Hey guys,
I am not to familiar with the VATS for i have an 84.. I do have a question for a friend though. My buddy has an 89 that recently decided it does not want to start. We tried starter, spare key ect.. Nothing.. So.. I am sure it has been done...

What do I need to do to bypass the vats in his car? Isn't there a resistor or something I can solder in somewhere? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

 

You can put a resistor inline somewhere but i'm not sure where myself. Someone surely has the info your looking for. I uploaded some diagnostics which may help him isolate the problem. Hope this helps
http://members.shaw.ca/agent86/Vats%20Electrical.pdf

 

heh i was just searching this myself and came across this post. The car in question is mine...

so... I have my multimeter and put it on the lowest OHM setting (200) and it doesnt do anything.

I found which wires to tap into, but now just need to know how to measure the resistance of the stupid key

 

Are you pretty sure its the VATS? The "Security" light should be on or flashing to indicate the fact that it is disabling the system. Also, try the spare keys or a new key first, it might just be a bad key. They have some very good troubleshooting guides in that PDF file.

This thread should also be helpfull

If you still need/want to bypass it, you need to measure the resistance of the key, I made the correct resistance using resistors from a radio shack multi-pak, and the connection to intall it in should be C281 (page 7, aka 8A-133-6), most likely under the dash very near the steering column. If you are familiar with calculating series and parallel resistance totals, it should be easy for ya.

(edit)I see there is another question, this should help

A bypass kit

resistance values They can be in the 1,000's of ohms, set your meter higher. The lowest is 392 ohms.

HTH »keith

 

Thanks for the advice.
***EDIT*** Mine turned out to be 523, which I also found listed in the link that 96_LT4_FE1 posted. THanks for the link, that will make my trip to RadioTrash much easier tomorrow morning!!
"Green, Red, Orange Black RES510 CN 523 "


I don't have any other choices in what could be wrong with the car. here is what happened, and what I have done.

Last Feb (yes, you read that right, almost year ago!!) I was out with my car club and went to start my car when I was ready to go. It didn't start. I figured it was VATS (it's not the first time this has happened). After waiting, disconnecting the battery, etc, and all the other known tricks you do when the stupid thing kicks in, I just left it over night and got a ride home. The next morning I went to start it and it still wouldn't start (I even left the batter off overnight). I had it towed to my parents house, thinking it would be safe there.

So, a month later, some jerks came through the neighborhood randomly vandalizing cars and managed to toss a solid block of concrete (which I could barely pick up) into my windshield!!! Luckily it only left a small scrape on the hood where it ended up resting (which I guess ill cover with a stripe once its on the road again)

When I put the key to ignition, everything lights up... lights work, window, AC, radio.. I have FULL power... everything works... but when i try and crank it, NOTHING,, not even a click... making me think its purely electrical or possibly the VATS. It basically does EXACTLY what VATS does when its being stupid.

anyway... so since then I've:
1 - Unplugged the VATS like my bro in law suggested, but he has an 84 and apparently the 89s have EVERYTHING wired into it..so that didn't work.
2 - I replaced the starter.. who knows, it was the original (127 miles)... no go. The starter WAS bad, but even a new one didn't start it.
3 - I had a friend come over and put jumper cables directly on the starter while i tried cranking it over with the key and giving it a bit of gas. The starter was turning the motor over, but it wouldn't fire. I found out that VATS also controls the Fuel Injection system.. which I noticed I didn't hear whirring any more when you turn the car on before you start the engine
4 - SOOO... this leads me to believe it's the VATS, since it has all the same symptoms. Several people i know have had the same problem, did the VATS bypass with either a resistor or bought the bypass kit and wallah, no more starting problems ever again.

I guess it can't hurt, i don't care about the factory alarm anyway. Its a HORRIBLE design and is more of a hindrance to me than a would-be car thief. Besides, thats what insurance is for

 

If by no start you mean the starter does not even crank when the key is all the way foward,

You can turn the ignition key to the "on" position, and using a long peice of wire jump voltage from the battery directly to the starter. If it cranks and starts, it's probably the Starter Enable Relay located behind the warning light panel. It is mounted sideways. Happened to me.

 

Ok, here is how you find out what is causing your 89 not to crank. First, try your spare ignition key as its pellet is not as worn as your everyday key. Next, unplug the clutch safety switch (gear selector sw if automatic) and jump the socket and try a crank (defective safety switch). With the safety switch jumped, measure the voltage on the jumper with the ign sw in crank position after you have waited 6 minutes. If VATS doesn't see the correct pellet resistance, it won't allow a crank for 6 minutes. You should measure 12v in crank position or the contacts in the ignition tumbler that make connection to the pellet are defective, the start enable relay is defective, or the ignition switch is defective. You can test the starter by jumping 12v to the jumper on the clutch safety switch. Next, remove the hush panel above the drivers feet and find the 2 wires that come out between the dash and the steering column and go to a 2 pin connector. Unplug the connector, insert your ign key and measure the resistance across the wires from the dash. It should measure the same as your pellet and if it is higher than 13k ohms, you need to replace the ign tumbler which will have new contacts in it. Use a higher scale than 200 ohms if you get no reading because the pellet may be much higher resistance than 200 ohms. You can temporarily bypass VATS until you can schedule the tumber replacement by connecting a resistor from Radio Schmuck the same value as your pellet across the 2 wires that go into the wiring harness (goes to VATS module). Leave the 2 pin connectors unplugged when you connect the resistor. A 1/4 watt 5% resistor is fine. The resistance value must be within 5% of the assigned value in order to work, so you may have to measure several resistors (Radio Shack sells 1/4 watt resistors in 5 packs), or you may have to connect several resistors together (not the same value) in either series or parallel to get the correct resistance. Don't permanently bypass VATS because 99% of thefts are done by bashing the column and jumping the ignition.

 

WOOOO HOOO!!! I GOT IT RUNNING!! 9 MONTHS OF HEADACHE AND $.06 WORTH OF RESISTORS FIXED IT!!!

It fired right up without even hesitating and I let it run for about 20 mins... no leaks, no smoke, no stuttering, nothing... ran GREAT!!

I called the insurance company about the busted windshield and they have to take the claim out of archive and I have to call back on monday to deal with it.

BTW in the 89, its 2 yellow wires coming out of the steering column, connecting to a yellow and brown wire. I clipped the wires from the ignition so I could reuse the conector, and my dad helped me figure out what resistors to use, so we soldered 3 together in a series (510+22+1=523 total) and heatshrinked it, then soldered it to the clipped wires of the connector. I went back outside and clipped the connector back into it and it cranked and started without one single hesitation!!!

 

 

Now replace the ignition tumbler so your vette won't be stolen easily.

 

Or do what one of my smarter friends did, and move to a nicer community. »keith

 

I honestly don't care of it's stolen.. I will just collect on it and buy another one LOL. Nobody around here wants an 80's vette.

It still needs a transmission before I spend any more money doing anything to it. Once I replace the windshield I will just have to granny it around until I get enough for the tranny