Talk about disappointing turned the key and nothing happened.

The bells are going off, the dash is fully lit but nothing is coming from the engine.

Any suggestions for figuring this out.

 

1 Try wiping the key chip with some Alcohol

2 Check Battery (make sure fully charged and no dead cells)

3 Clean Battery Terminals

4 Have starter tested

5 Check fusable links in starter wiring

 

Can you hear a relay clicking from behind the center of the dash when you hit the starter? If you can, then it isn't VATS, if you can't , then you have a VATS problem. The relay you should hear click is the start enable relay operated by VATS when it detects the proper pellet resistance in your ign key. First try your spare ign key as its pellet contacts won't be as worn as your everyday key. If that doesn't work, then unplug the 2 pin connector under the carpet by the steering column which are the wires from the ign sw contacts that make with the pellet. Insert key and measure the ohms on the wires from the steering column. It should be the same as the pellet resistance. If over 10k ohms, then you need a new ign sw. I drive my 87 vette everyday and I am on ign sw #3 for this reason. You can drive your car until you can get the ign sw replaced by making up a fixed resistor the same value as the pellet resistance and clipping it onto the wires going over to the passenger side (VATS module). Get the ign sw replaced because 99% of stolen cars are done by bashing your steering column and jumping the ign. I know some C4 owners that came out to their car and found a bashed steering column , but the car never moved an inch.
If you can hear the relay click and still no starter action, then jump the clutch switch (xmsn position switch if auto) as it might be defective.


[Modified by jfb, 9:31 AM 6/1/2002]

 

You are correct I am not hearing anything. The previous owner (now deceased) had problems with it too I think I was going though all the stuff that came with the Vet and found a catalog with a page makered for a bypass.

I have had the car for a since December and it has started strong everytime.

Thanks for the suggestings.

 

Put it in park (push in the clutch all the way if it is a manual) and try again. :)

I actually had this happen to me a few times. I got out unlocked the door and tried again. BOING started right up. This was just the indicator of the root problem. Mr. battery was on the way out on mine.

Good luck.

 

This happens to me about once every two or three months. Don't know what it is. I can fix it by disconnecting the battery for a minute or so to "reboot" the computer. Worth a try... :crazy:

Hope its not worse then that....

Jim-K

 

Had the same thing happen to me. I would like some advice please.Went for drive yesterday, starter sounded tired when I started car after stop, it would spin and then bog down, but by then it would start. when I got home I started car about three times in a row. then it quit starting, turn key and got nothing. even after waiting for a while. Checked for codes, none there. this morning it started fine for about three or four times then nothing again. But I can hear click behind dash like some one said I should from vats system so do I need starter and anyway to check it, hate to change it and then have same trouble. thanks

 

The car sit for a couple of hours before I had a change to follow the instructons above. The first thing I did was clean the key and the car started.

Now was it the fact the car sit for a couple of hours or cleaning the key but it runs fine for now just glad it happened at home.

 

The contacts in the ignition switch that connect to the pellet are worn and and intermittent. The proof is in not hearing the start enable relay click when it won't start. You need to have a new ignition switch installed, this problem will not fix itself or get better. The symptoms are there, you just have to know what they are telling you. My 87 has 176k on it and I drive it every day and I am on my third ignition switch for the VATS problem.

 

If you wish to verrrify that it is a VATS issue, get the little bypass adaptor from Midamco and give it a shot. $15 is a cheap diagnosis. Plus if it is the only problem you won't be stranded on date night.

V

 

This happend to me just the other day and it was the ign sw again this is the 2nd one I have put in.

Jay