On Monday, I go out to my car in the morning to go to work. :cry Turn the key, dash lights up, everything looks good, engage starter, and no starter. Leave the car at home and take my Tiburon to work. I come home try the starter, and it worked. I go to fill up with gas, and when I try to start after filling up, no start again. I try for 40 mins to start the car, but no luck. I get a tow truck to take my car home.
On Tuesday I try again, no start.
Today (Wednesday), I remove the starter and test it against a 12 volt battery, it works.
The question is, do you think that it is the neutral start switch that is faulty, or is it the dreaded VATS being set every time I put the key in the ignition. I have tried another key with the same no start.
Where exactly is the neutral start switch on an 86 4+3? I have removed the hush panel and tried to look at the clutch pedal, but I cannot see any switch. Totally :confused: now!!!!
P.S. Tried push starting...No go.

 

Its VATS if you cannot hear the start enable relay click behind the center of the dash. If you can hear it, then it is the clutch switch (look closer at the clutch pedal with a light and laying on your back in the footwell). Jump the clutch switch and try a start. If you can't hear the relay, then find the 2 pin connector under the carpet by the steering column and unplug and measure the resistance across the pins from the steering column with the ign key in place. You should measure the same resistance as the pellet in the ign key. If over 10k ohms, then you have worn out contacts in the ign sw that make with the pellet. You can temporarily start it by making up a fixed resistor the same value as the pellet and clipping it onto the wires that go over to the passenger side fooling the VATS module . Try your spare ign key first because its pellet contacts aren't as worn as your everyday key. Get a new ign sw, because 99% of stolen cars are done by bashing the column and jumping the ignition. VATS won't allow the injectors to work if it doesn't measure the correct resistance pellet in the ign, and thats why pushing your car will not start it. Good luck.

 

If you hear the click of the bendix(sp?) but the starter doesn't turn the motor over then I think you have a bad spot on your starter. I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. Car would start fine and then bam.. it wouldn't start (the starter happened to land on the dead spot). I had to keep bumping the key til it barely moved off the bad spot on the arpeture (sp?), then it would start.

$169 later for a new/used starter and it starts perfect everytime.

 

Sounds like a VATS problem. Since it seems to be intermittant, I would bet it's in the ignition switch.

 

jfb & Black 'n Blue, you are both spot on! :cool:

I read the resistance of my key, 1860 ohms, and went to a local electronic shop. I bought two 910 ohm resistors, and installed them on the connector running to the relay from the ignition switch. Worked like a charm. That points to the ignition switch as being faulty. I have left enough wire so I can install a hidden switch to give a 0 ohm reading and disable starting.

Thanks to all.

Alan



[Modified by ADL, 7:22 AM 5/31/2002]

 

ADL, I was going through the same set of problems last year...I got a new key cut last August and it hasn't happened since. If the chip on your key gets worn down through normal use, the ignition switch has a hard time recognizing the resistance code once the key is inserted. You might also want to try wiping down your existing key with thinner...sometimes a film of dirt covers the key chip...hope this helps...Good Luck :cheers:

 

Quik86, I tried another set of keys and got the same no-start. I disconnected the wires from the ignition to the relay and placed two 910-ohm resistors in the connector leading to the relay. Works great now. I might just leave it this way and install a switch in the line.

P.S. That is one nice lookin' Vette. Is it an 86 with upgraded wheels?

Thanks,
Alan


[Modified by ADL, 6:13 AM 6/3/2002]