I noticed in the catalogs (MAD I think) they sell VATS bypass kits for up to 89. How can I bypass the VATS on a 90. I cannot start my car after it is gets hot. I have just replaced the starter and put a heat shield on and the car will not start after it gets hot. I have to let it set for about 45 minutes. This is getting to be embarassing. I can pop start it if I am on a hill. I am at wits end and don't know what else to do. Is it the ignition switch? It only does it if the engine is hot. Once it cools it starts up. From reading other posts I think the VATS system is acting up (maybe).

 

The VATS system is inside the passenger compartment and is not engine heat sensitive. Your symptoms point to a heat soaked starter motor. Get a heat shield for it so it doesn't get cooked by the exhaust pipe heat.

 

It seems like everyone is haveing a HEAT SOAK problem (bull sh#%) I lestend to vveryone tell me that most of the summer, my 89 roadster would get hot and have to set sometimes for over an hour, I put in the new starter,heat shield blanket,new cables, new key and had the battery and charging system checked and still the same bs, Saturday put in a vats bypass bought from Mid America and drove my 89 around in 112 temperature and it started every time, Mid America makes a vats bypass with a switch so you can bypass the vats system and the when parked you flip the little toggle switch and your vats system is working again, sorry guys but I went the whole route and NOTHING worked for me but bypassing the vats system.

:jester

 

This is soooo interesting to me. My vette was vats bypassed when I got it 25k ago. It won't start if it is real hot. My wife sat in the car for 20-30 mins in the heat w air on and we could not restart the car till it cooled 20 minutes. I will be very interested in what you do to solve this problem. I haven't worried about it too much since it isn't a big problem for me, only happened 2 times since I have had the car...

 

traxx1, the kit they sell is for up to an 89, how do I do it on a 90. I have installed a new starter and a heat shield, still the same problem.

 

Call Mid America and ask them if they have a kit for your 90, one forum member said to replace the ignition switch and that would take care of the problem but also stated that he had been through 3 of them, if c chip keys for the ignition are $30 then how much is yhe ignition switch and labor, I think I did the right thing and so far it seems to be working for me, just be sure you get the vats bypass switch that has the switch on it so that when parked you can turn on the vats for security or some forum members get there rubber bands wound up pretty tight.

:jester traxx1 :jester

 

Ran the car hard today and believe me its hot in Phoenix this time of year 113 yesterday 109 so far today and did several stops, im all over the city and not once did the car not start, it was great, no worry of that sick feeling of turning on the key and a click or nothing, I do feel it was the vats in my car that was causing all of the starting problems

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

Hi ! It is fairly easy to do a VATS pass mod your self, that´s what i did. I just checked which wires coming from the ign lock were the VATS wires. Then i measured the resistance on my ign key, took a trimmer resistance adjusted it to a same value as my key and cut the VATS wire. Then i connected the trimmer to the VATS wires by soldering and voila! No more embarassing and nerve consuming waiting if it will or will not start. It would be simple to add a hidden switch for increased protection against theft as well.

 

What you haven't done is find out why the starter won't crank when the engine is hot. One member cured his no start by bypassing VATS, another has a bypassed VATS and still has no hot starts. When it won't start is when you should be trying some experiments to find out why the starter won't crank. Jump the clutch or gear shift position switch. If no start, also jump the start enable relay. If no start, jump 12 volts to the already jumped start enable relay contacts. If no start, see if 12 v is on the s terminal of the starter when either the ign sw is on start, or jump 12 volts to the already jumped start enable relay. If the ignition sw won't crank but jumping 12 v to the jumped start enable relay does, then you have a defective ignition sw. If there is 12 v on the s terminal, does the start solenoid operate but no cranking? If so, heat soak may occur and I would use a garden hose on the starter for 5 minutes and see if it will start. If the start solenoid doesn't operate with 12 volts on the s terminal then the start solenoid could be heat sensitive , or the starter motor case loses its ground connection with the block (unlikely) and I would try clipping a jumper cable from the starter case to the negative terminal of the battery. To eliminate the positive cable as the problem, connect a jumper cable from the battery positive terminal to the large cable on the starter. The only remaining component to test is the fusible link that supplies 12 v to the ignition sw and this can be tested with a 12 v trouble light connected to the red wires on the ign sw to see if it lights.
You can replace part after part until the problem goes away, but that is not an economical nor intelligent way to repair anything, and you will not know with certainty that the last part was the cause.

 

jfb, I can pop start the car that is why I am wondering if it is the fault of the VATS. I have just replaced the starter and solenoid and added a heat shield but still have the same problem. After replacing the starter, when the car was hot you had to turn the ignition key twice before it would turn over. Forgive my ignorance but I am not too mechanically inclined as far as electrical matters go. But I would like some detailed instruction on how to perform some of these tests. This is my only car and right now it is not very dependable.