1) I have shorted the starter enable relay; cut the green with white stripe wire and the tan/yellow wire and connected them; pins #1 & #6 as directed on the VATS sucks site; (although the author doesn't state whether to re-connect the plug or not).

2) Spliced in a start button using a power wire from the battery to the switch and splicing into the Yellow 14 Ga. wire from under the steering column

When I try to start the car, all the gauges light up with the ACC on and the bell chimes....then when I go to start the car whether with the start button or the key there is nothing. With the starter enable relay plugged back together there is a clicking noise inside where the small relay is located. This clicking occurs whether using the key or the new start button.

I have not attempted to determine whether the starter is getting juice since I would have to jack up the car. How do you disconnect the blue plug from the starter anyways to determine if it's getting any current?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, the battery light is on when attempting to start, but there is 13.8 volts and this is an old Optima battery.

Thanks!

 

The start enable relay grn/wh wire goes to the clutch safety switch (gear selector switch if auto). The purple wire from the clutch/gear switch then goes to the starter solenoid. Putting 12v on the purple wire will make the starter crank. If you have not bypassed VATS, then you will not be able to start the engine because the VATS module tells the ECM to pulse the injectors ONLY if it detects the correct pellet resistance.

 

A little more...

I just tried to start it again and when using the key the battery symbol and the SECURITY symbol light up. When I try to start it with the new start button, only the battery symbol lights up.

I can hear the fuel pump with the ACC selected so I feel that this is a VATS issue.

One more thing...where is the ECM on an '88. This car has a Holley Commander computer for the engine behind the bread box. Does anyone know if this Holley Commander is a stand alone computer or needs to piggy back with the stock ECM.

If the Holley Commander is a stand alone, then the ignition VATS should be electronically disabled...Right?

Thanks!

 

Sound like you have a real Cluster F**k... I'd stop and go back to step one... too many variables , make too much confusion... good luck

 

The factory computer is located above the passengers feet against the left side of the footwell up high. You have to remove the hush panel above the passengers feet to get access. I agree with vinnies87, you have a jumble wired clusterflock.

 

Let me back up a little...

The car started and ran fine with the Holley Commander computer, etc...prior to my pulling out the interior and door panels; (future track car)

I just looked up abov the passenger foot well on the left side and there is no stock computer, just a small junction box inside the left side of the bread box.

The clutch pedal switch looks to have been removed snd the car started like this. (there is a hole where it looks like a switch used to be).

Anyone have any ideas???

Thanks!

 

As the others have said, this is going to take a few minutes to sort out. What we know is that the car started and ran fine with the Commander and will not crank after your interior gutting. It appears that your factory ECM is gone. If this is the case, the Commander is handling the fuel so the VATS module was only still in use to energize the Start Enable Relay when the proper key was inserted. You've bypassed the Start Enable Relay. Let's make sure that is all cool. You said in post #1:
I'm not sure about the tan/yellow wire and pins #1 & #6. You should have a five place connector with Dark Green/White stripe, Dark Green, Yellow, empty and Yellow again in cavities A-E respectively. Simplest thing to do is pull the Relay and jumper a 14 Ga. wire between cavities A and E. This should be Dark Green/White stripe and Yellow. Maybe you say the Yellow looks Tan, but I wanted to make sure you had the right connector. Let's assume you have this done as you said. The start button you installed with battery power on one side and splicing into the 14 Ga. Yellow wire under the steering column is assumed to be the same 14 Ga. Yellow wire that runs to the Start Enable Relay connector. This should be fine. The Start Enable Relay can be either in or out the way you cut and spliced the two wires together. In, it verifies your button is right. You said the Start Enable Relay clicks when you switch Ignition Switch to Start or hit the button. Sounds like the button is connected to the correct Yellow wire. Now moving on to the Clutch Safety Switch. You said it had been removed and it looked like there was a hole where it used to be. You need to look around in that area and try to find the Dark Green/White stripe wire jumped to a Purple wire. These should also be 14 Ga. and will have been jumpered when the Clutch Safety Switch was removed. You should be able to measure at this jumper for battery voltage when switching Ignition Switch to Start or hitting your button. Assuming this works and you still don't want to get under the car to measure at the Solenoid, you need to look at that Battery. All this could be as a result of your running down that battery while gutting the interior.

Verify those things and get back. I believe the Commander is taking care of the fuel, so that part of the VATS is effectively disabled and with the Start Enable Relay jumpered, that part is now disabled, so VATS should not be an issue. Forget about the Security light, it is only connected to the UTDS module and has nothing to do with VATS on an '88.

 

.....

 

This car is going to be strictly a "track" car and is somewhat beat-up. With that, I need to ensure reliability and I dont need all that wiring up under the dash or in the engine compartment.

My thoughts are two-fold:

1) Rip-out all the wiring, install an aluminum dash with Autometers and re-wire to support the Holley Commander & LT-1 EFI.

or

2) Rip-out all the wiring, install the same aluminum dash and Autometers and go to carburation.

The only concerns are; I need the brake lights, the anti-skid, and the instruments. I will have a push button ignition and switches as necessary to support the engine and instruments. That's basically all I need. All the rest of the electrical; windows, door locks, heater, fan, radio, A/C, horn, lights, turn signals, reverse lights, etc will all be ripped-out.

Does anyone know what I can get for the Arcade style instrument panel...everything on the panel seems to work fine.

Thanks again!