Hi,

I'm usually found in the C2 forum but this evening had a problem with my 86. I tried to unlock the driver's door and it set off the security system. It rained here pretty much all day and I think that water may have gotten down into the switch on the lock or something. Regardless of the cause, the car had to be towed home since it wouldn't start or reset. Can anyone tell me how to reset this? When this has happened before, I just "unlocked" the driver's door and it reset, but it ain't doing it anymore. This car is my daily driver, HELP!!!

 

Wow! The exact same thing happened to me with my '85 this past summer. I drove it in the rain, and got to my destination. I was going to leave, and put the key in the lock, and the alarm went off. Horn honking, the whole nine yards. This went on for 20-25 minutes. Finally, before I was going to pull the fuse for the horn, I put the key in the lock one last time, (like I had dozens of times while the alarm was going off), and the alarm stopped. Haven't had a problem since. I'm with you, I think that it had something with driving in the rain, which I'm going to try to avoid like the plague going forward!

 

The alarm deactivates when you use your key in the door lock to open the door. If you unlocked the driver's door with the key and the alarm still went off, try unlocking the passenger side door. If unlocking the pass. door turns the alarm off, your problem is the switch that mounts to the driver's door lock cylinder (has a green & black wire attached). I think the switch is discontinued so you might have to do some digging to find one.

 

The door lock switch in Either door will arm and disarm the alarm system. Nothing else does, not even the actual ignition switch.

If you never lock the door, either of them, with the Key from the outside the alarm is never "armed". One good reason for a cheap aftermarket keyless entry system

Also- that alarm, once triggered (by opening the door without unlocking it with the key, as far as the system knows), only stays "on" for a set amount of time (I forget how long - like 5 minutes or something - it's in the FSM...). During that time the horn will sound and the starter solenoid is disabled. Once the time period Passes the alarm shuts off and resets, remaining "armed", and the car can be started.... having it Towed is not necessary!

In order to make it tough to kill the alarm (if you are a thief) the relay and fuse for it are located behind the center of the dash, behind the OIC (operator information center). The fuse doubles as the Horn fuse, since the horns are part of the alarm system.

BTW - the "security" light flashing on the OIC is there to remind you that you have Not "armed" the alarm system....

 

Thanks for the responses. I took the wife's car today since it wouldn't start this morning. I'm going to see if I can figure it out tomorrow morning when I get some time and daylight. I hope it's as easy as unlocking the passenger side door, but the cynic in me thinks it probably something more complicated.....

 

Forced entry only sets off the horn, it does not stop your car from starting. Your going to have to diagnose.
http://members.shaw.ca/dankai/Vats%20Electrical.pdf

 

Muy bad - I need to correct what I said above..

Now that I'm home, with the FSM (1985 version) in front of me, let me quote it:

Arming: After ignition is turned Off, the system may be armed at either open door by:
1. With power door locks: Activating the electric door lock switch to the lock position
2. With manual door locks: Depressing the door lock button to the lock position (my note - don't All C4's have electric locks?)

When the last door is closed (after a 5 sec. delay) the system is armed.

Note that the FSM does NOT say the system can be armed with the Key in the door locks. It also does not say that using the electric locks with the doors Closed (as with a keyless entry system) will arm the system.

Disarming: The system is disarmed by unlocking the Drivers door with the key or by turning the ignition on. Alarm shutdown is accomplished ONLY by unlocking the door with the key. If the driver wants to prevent arming the system after using the Door Lock rocker switch, the switch can be moved to the Unlock position Before closing all doors. He may Also cancel the arming process by rotating the ignition switch to the On position, then back to off or lock. Rotating the ignition switch Will NOT cancel the alarm once it is activated. The doors may be locked mechanically using the door key Without arming the system. The door key Will disarm and/or deactivate the system. The ignition key in the ignition switch can Only disarm the system (before the alarm is activated).

Note that the FSM does NOT state the system can be disarmed from the Passenger door. I do believe that it can be, however.

Automatic shut down: Once the alarm has been activated, the starter interrupt relay will be energized and the alarm will continue to operate for a period of between three-seven minutes. At the end of the time out period, the alarm will automatically shut off to conserve battery power and, if the locks have not been damaged, the system will re-arm itself. However - once the system has been activated, the starter interrupt relay will remain energized until the proper disarming sequence is initiated.

In other words... The car will not start (or to be semantically correct, the car will not Crank) until the alarm is disarmed. Which in theory can only be done with the key in the drivers door.

How you would "properly initiate" the disarming sequence if the door lock switch is damaged is a really good question.

I wired mine with a cheap keyless entry system several years ago - works fine. Never need to use a key to get in, always use the fob to Lock the car as I walk away. Never had the alarm go off. Note also that with the starter interrupt relay energized the car would still Start AND run - if you could crank it. A standard shift car could be pushed.. The alarm system doesn't otherwise do anything to prevent the engine from running, or anything else (other than the horn) from working.

 

Your info seems to be based on a non VATS car(pre 86).
On an 86, the alarm system will not keep you from cranking. That job is for VATS.

 

I'm really kind of stuck here so ANY help is appreciated. Posting is slow and awkward at times like this so I'd be happy to PM my phone numer to someone who wants to help.

Okay, here is me status. I went out to the VATS sucks website and downloaded the information from the 86 area. I have installed the resistors in the column and have taken the dash apart to check the relay. I also took the driver's door panel off to jumper the switch at the door lock. With the door lock switch jumpered, the relay installed and a resistor wired inline with the ignition switch, when I try to start, I can hear the fuel relay energize and the starter relay clicks, under the hood it also sounds as if another relay is energized as it clicks (maybe the solenoid?) but still no crank of the engine. This is an automatice car BTW. I assume from the above that at least the VATS ECM interface is working since the fuel relay energizes.

Does the door lock switch mounted on the door panel need to be back in to test since it arms the system? I mean the switch that locks and unlocks the door and NOT the switch located on the door handle (I've got that jumpered at the moment).

It seems as if everything is working at the moment when jumpered, so I assume my crank problem is elsewhere (although the VATS initially triggered it) Could the VATS screw up something in the ECM that keeps it from cranking?

Thanks for any help.

 

Put a test light on the small terminal of solenoid to determine if the ECM is allowing cranking. Sounds like it is and either you have a weak battery/poor connections or you have starter problems.
Code 46 should be stored if your were held hostage by VATS.
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/Code%2046.pdf

 

I don't have a ECM diagnostics tool to tell if the code 46 is present. I know you used to be able to short a couple of pins at the diagnostics connector and a light would count out the codes on the instrument panel somewhere, but I don't remember exactly how this is done. Can you tell me which two pins to short and which bulb does the count?

Thanks,

Paul

 

You will be counting the flashes of the SES light.
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/No...it%20Check.pdf

 

No code 46. Only code 12 comes up. Guess my VATS is working okay with all the jumpers at least. I will check the starter/solenoid and see what happens.

I figured since I had the thing apart already, I'd pick up a new starter enable relay and lock cylinder to at least make sure those wouldn't go out in the new future. But how do you tell what key is correct for it? The "blank" key has a number stamped into it 76J2 but the cylinder body has 1562 stamped into it. Neither corresponds to the key codes listed on the VATS sucks website.

Also, since the security light is blinking when the door is opened, I assume that the system is not arming itself and won't unless I lock the doors. Can I leave the door lock switch disconnected if I don't lock the doors until I can get a replacement?

 

With the info Agent gave you in the PDF files, you should be able to test your relays if needed, & the entire system. No sense in buying new ones or a lock cylinder.

I don't know very much about the Vats system...I checked that vats site quick and they show the resistance chart for the different keys if you think it's a key problem. All you need is a multimeter connected to each side of the pellet on the key. Got a spare key you can try?

-Yes the alarm can be disarmed by unlocking either door with the key.
-Alarm is armed after you use the power lock switch to lock the doors & close them.
-No need to bypass the bad door lock alarm switch, as long as one of the doors will disarm the alarm.
-I'd do the tests in the links Agent gave you to see if your alarm is properly arming/disarming, first. Eliminate 1 thing at a time.

 

First, thank you to all who responded. I really appreciate the help. You folks are what make this forum the great place that it is.

I went through all of the tests and found that all the VATS/security components are working except for driver's door lock switch. I will have to replace that another day as it's too darn cold outside. Still sets the alarm off every time you open the door when hooked up but right now, it's bypassed.

The no crank problem was a bad starter. Once the VATS/security issues were eliminated, I used the tried and true method of a tap with a hammer to the starter and she cranked right over. So a new starter was installed.

So with the dash buttoned up and a new starter installed, I can limp through this week until I get the replacement switch.

Again, thanks to everyone for the help.

Paul

 

 

That's awesome.

I went about 6 months with a bad switch in the driver's door before I finally figured it out. Luckily my pass door switch worked.