86 corvette, backed it out of the garage, washed it, and now the starter won't engage.
1. starter is about 2 years old.
2. engine was replaced with a 383 2 years ago. grounds should be good.



I have a service manual, tells how to arm the security system and make the alarm go off.
Followed all the steps, car does not act like the scenarios presented in the book.
Book says open the door, turn the key on to run, then turn off.
lock the car with the electric lock,shut the door,
stay in car, then unlock the car with the electric lock and open the door.
alarm should sound.
A. no alarm
B. no start
C. book states that security light will be flashing on dash after door is closed if vats is malfunctioning
Security light goes out when door is closed.

What I have done so far:
1. checked battery 12.2 volts---Dash says 11.8
2. tried the arming procedure
3. disassembled dash to get to the vats fuse, it's good.
4. checked all the other fuses on the right side of the car. they are good.
disassembled start enable relay, jumpered pin A and pin E. in connector, no start
checked contacts, and they are good.

next plan of attack is:
A. to check the fusible links under cruise servo.
B replace ECM since I have a spare.
C. disassemble left door to make sure the door lock rod is still attached and the wiring is good.

Need a vats module to try.



C. check starter s terminal when initiating a start.


Note, tried wife's key, no worky
First time in 20 years this has happened.

went to vats sucks.com, and haven't disabled it yet, I think it still might be ignition switch solenoid, or a wire.

Phew!
ok, now i am asking for help
Thanks in advance

 

The quickest diagnostic tool is to bypass the key resistance and that rules that out first thing. You've got keys so determining the resistance required is easy. The car is an '86 so there's always the possibility that it has an early cylinder in the column and those were part of a TSB, the cylinder was changed to remove the resistance problems of the key to the contacts. The later key is also longer, later keys would work in early cylinders but not old to newer cylinders.

Maybe a left/right a couple times of the door cylinder to center the switch on the cylinder.

The connector for the ignitionlock cylinder wires is very accessible on early cars, a visit to an electronics shop for a resistor and done. If it still doesn't crank then you go deeper but knowing the potential of a possible key resistance issue just do it.

You could also just measure the resistance at the connector with the key in the cylinder. It's a match or no match, diagnostics likely done.

 

The door lock switch connects to the TDS (Theft Deterrent System), which operates the SECURITY light. This system honks the horn if the door is opened while it's armed. It doesn't do anything else and is NOT connected to the VATS system in any way.

The VATS system measures the resistance of the pellet in the key and decides what to do based on what it sees. If the resistance is correct it will enable the starter through the starter enable relay and send a 30 Hz square wave signal to the ECM. When the ECM sees the 30 Hz VATS signal it enables the injectors. All this happens when the ignition is turned on.

If the engine does not crank it might be a VATS problem. The ECM will hold an error code 46 if VATS failed to send the 30 Hz signal. Listen for the starter enable relay clicking when you turn the key to the crank position. The relay is located behind the DIC (Driver Information Center). It's not very loud so you need to turn off the radio and HVAC system to hear it.

Since the engine does not crank with the starter enable relay bypassed there might be a problem with the starter solenoid (going through that myself right now). The best test to do is to measure the voltage on terminal S on the starter solenoid when the ignition switch is turned to the crank position. There should be about 12 volts there. Note that the HVAC blower motor gets its power from a fusible link on the starter solenoid. If the blower motor works then 12 volts is getting to the main power terminal on the solenoid. The positive battery cable connects there.

 

You didn't mention whether you have a manual or automatic transmission, there could be a couple of issues. I have an 86 so I've been through this.

One is the resistor on the key. I picked up a dongle that replaced that. You need one with the right value based on the resistor on the key, got mine from Ecklers IIRC. Use an OHM meter and measure the value to get the right one. Drop the hush panel on the drivers side and there's a pair of wires that come out of the bottom of the column through a connector and go towards the radio. Unplug the connector and plug in the wire to the part that runs towards the radio - the key resistor is bypassed. Try it and see if it works or not.

Next was the switch on the clutch pedal. It's way up by the hinge and has a 2 wire connector on it. Disconnect the connector from the switch and jumper the wire and you've bypassed that switch.

That takes those 2 items out of the diagnostic checking. If you still have a no-start condition, your problem is elsewhere. Remember if it's associated with the VATs system, it's sets a code I think in the module so you can't reattempt a start for something like 5 minutes after a failed attempt.

Good luck.

 

Dash is all apart, have to put this disaster back together to continue. it's an auto.

Then maybe I have a fusible link that is no good. I have no horn honking and no start.

 

There is a neutral start switch on an automatic. I don't have the details but I'm sure you can find it in the FSM. Check it out and possibly jumper it and see if that makes a difference.

Maybe look into a remote starter switch and see if the starter turns over when it fails through the ignition switch.

From my experience, when a fusible link goes bad - it's bad. Not part-time it works and part-time it doesn't.

 

I'm going through a solenoid issue right now myself. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't -- mainly when it's hot. I discovered today that the solenoid seems to go open when it gets hot. My theory is that the coil is losing it's ground. Even connecting the S terminal directly to the battery won't make it work.

The neutral start switch on an automatic is mounted on the shifter.

 

Back in the day, I've run into situations where the starter got heat soaked and acted like you mention. Easiest solutions were either replacing the starter with a high torque unit or adding a heat shield to the starter (which didn't always work but did at times). The heat shield added an airshield between the unit and the source of heat. Big issue was getting something that fit the chassis correctly.
Something like this: http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...Heat%20Shields