I'm looking to remove VATS completely, I mean totally. I have the dash off and I wanna rip the decoder out ( I have a new ECM so the fuel cutoff is already bypassed). I just want the starter motor to go directly to the steering column. Does anyone have a schematic to help me with this? maybe one from an '85.

okay, so some background first. I was driving my car in the summer, everything was fine except I had to turn the key multiple times to start the car (I'd turn and it wouldn't crank, make noise or do anything). I thought it was a small electrical gremlin, however my car would start shutting itself down, once on a highway off ramp .

Well one day after turning from an intersection the car shuts down and the cabin clouds with smoke, I pull over turn the car off jump out and wait. The car didn't burn down but the wiring was screwed, so my project in the fall was to take the dash off.

I found that the pink wire of circuit 3 was melted all the way to the firewall (but not in the engine bay), to the steering column, to the fuesblock, and to 2 other pink wires one going to the VATS fuse and another to a bunch of fuses (instrument panel etc.). I'm guessing the VATS system fried and shorted out circuit 3 (which goes to the coil) stopping the engine.

Any help is appreciated I hate wiring and this is quite the project.

 

It may be too late for this, but Mid america has bypass kits that by pass vats.

 

thanks, I saw that before and I had bypassed it but something happened that caused the wiring to short so I'm looking to just rip the damn thing out of the car, I mean I can see the decoder box and all the wires with the dash off anyways.

 

Do you have a factory shop manual? You may be able to re-wire affected curcuits. And modify ign. curcuit to go straight to starter instead.

 

yeah I have the FSM for the '86 worse comes to worse I'll stare at that for a while longer, was hoping someone had a schematic from an 85 without VATS to compare.

 

If you look at the schematic ;
starter signal runs through starter enable relay which is controlled by VATS.
If you remove the relay and connect yellow wire to
green/white wire, you have a direct path to starter (through clutch switch or trans switch)
Or run a new wire from the starter position on the ign switch (heavy yellow )
direct to the clutch or trans position switch (green / white )

 

sweet, so that will let me remove the decoder and not rewire the power to the VATS fuse? If so I will take the decoder and for the good of everyone in the forum set it on fire.. albeit a controlled one.

saw your edit thats exactly what I needed to hear, I can also see it now on the schematic (learning how to read it as I go). Thanks a bunch

 

http://www.joestradingpost.com/vats/

good luck!

 

When you guys eliminate the vats, you won't need to use those coded key, just a regular G.M. key would do ???

 

This is correct....a regular key will do.

 

no...the 86 and up ecm puts out a 5v signal that must be go to "sink" (ground) at 30 Hz before fuel (injectors) is enabled and starter relay is tripped... if the ecm 5v signal is open/grounded/ sink at other than 30 Hz, NO GO...the starter relay can simply be bypassed (jumpered) but the ecm MUST either get that 30 Hz sink OR be re-programmed to eliminate VATS to pulse the injectors.

30 Hz sink can be done by using the VATS module (decoder) with a simple resistor to simulate the ign key resistor, or build/buy a VATS simulator to replace the VATS module entirely.

 

This is true...the VATS module applies power to the coil for the starter enable relay's coil as well as to the ECM's injector pulse enable circuit. You can crank the car all day with the starter enable bypassed but the car will never run without the ECM injector enable signal present. I built my own 30 hz Vats bypass module...but you can order a prebuilt unit for about $15(do a search). Or you can have your ECM prom reprogrammed to ignore the need for the signal all together. So after all this you can use a key with or without a resistor pellet.

 

My suggested fix only works for the OP because he has aftermarket ECM , not the factory setup.

 

yeah, I'm running the Holley Commander 950, it does all the fueling including fuel pump, all it needs is switched 12v to the ECM.

This coupled with my removal of cruise control has made my life of rewiring the car soo much easier.