Stereo & Electronics - Security light comes on and car won't start?! HELP!

As of a couple days ago, my friend's '95 Z has had the security light come on and, as a result, his car won't start. Funny thing is, he has no factory security system, nor does he have a factory motor. He needs to get the car running, so have any of you ever heard of somthing like this happening before? if you have what the heck can we do to get rid of it?! Help please! Thanks!

His car does have the VATS system with the chip in the key correct? It is more than likely due to the reader in the tumbler not reading th ekey properly. Either the resistor in the key is bad (highly unlikely) or the reader is not functioning properly. You also have the possibility of a broken wire somewhere along the line.

I had the same problem with my '96 Camaro. The problem was the key chip reader in the ignition switch tumbler. I had to have the car towed to a dealer, and it cost me $300. Unfortunately, there's no way around this, as it is a dealer-only part. :(

or you could just bypass the key all together for less that a buck. just catch the vats wires at the column and solder the same size resistor into the circuit. takes less that 30 minutes and you don't have to worry about it breaking again. and if your worried about bypassing the factory security just add a real alarm to the car and problem solved and your still under the $300 mark.

can u give me some step by step instructions or website on how to do this? i have a 94 formula and im having the same problem and have already tried trouble shooting. the only other option i have left is to call an electrician or send it to the dealer, which i prefer not to do either if i can fix it myself. thanx

http://www.directed.com/guides/manuals/ig/clifford/N909553.pdf page 23 it talks about vats and how to identify the wires. only you won't be using the relay it's talking about. all you have to do is cut the 2 wires runing the to steering column and tape them up. then you will be left with the 2 wires running to the vats decoder module. just put the resistor across these 2 wires and you will have bypassed the vats on your car. just measuse the resistor in your key using a multimeter and be sure to get as exact a match as you can and you will be all good to go.

Thanks for the help guys. I found out through some more troubleshooting and some good friends that it was the ignition switch. It took me about 3.5 hrs to replace it but well worth it. lol. Again thanks for all the help.

Guys I was having problems with my car starting too. Searched and found this thread. Wanna say thanks :chug: to all especially Johnny for the help. Got her starting again. :)

all i have to say is damn i wish it was that easy on a vette my car has had the steering column lock go out on it 5 times now and chevrolet rapes you if u dont fight them for it to be recalled.

Mine does the same thing but it happens once in awhile. But with mine the security light stops blinking if i slam my door or hit the key into the ignition, light stops blinking then it starts. usually happens once a day then it works fine the rest of the day.

Your key is about to go out. I'd recommend taking care of the problem now. I had exacly same deal. Some time it would start sometimes it wouldn't. I didn't mess with it until my car wouldn't start in the parking lot. It is almost never the cylinder. All cylinder does is touch leads on the resistor(chip) on the key with a pair of contacts. If the key fits and you can turn the cylinder it is not the cylinder.
There are 2 ways of going about it.
1) Get another key from the dealer. The key alone is going to cost you $50. If they can make one of your current key. If not you'll have to buy the cylinder as well, they come with the template key. I priced it about a month ago the whole thin should run you about $160.

2) Bypass vats with use of resistors. Take your key to the locksmith and have it tested. If the car still start it should give you the right code. The using this code reference it form the table bellow. The the maching resistors (make a chain if you have to). Find your vats cylinder cable. It is comming off you r steering column cylinder. It is alway orange with too white wires inside. Cut it off and attach your resistors to both wires. Make sure you attach it to the wire that goes in to the dashboard. This will permimently bypass your VATS. And will cost you about 20 bucks.

Here is teh resistance table: http://www.thirdgen.org/tech/images/VATSResistanceTable.jpg

You can get a duplicate can key made at some hardware stores, I know the place I work at (Doit-Best/HWI) its around 18 bucks for a VATS key.

I would look around some hardware stores before you go to the dealer.

happened on my car too but it started fine. tried different keys light was still on, bought a multimeter and tested the VATS wires with the key in the ignition and it read nothing so the key tumbler was bad. instead of replacing that i read the resister in the chip in my key and matched it with reistors from radio shack. i wired the resistors up to the VATS wires and no more security light :)

You can get a duplicate can key made at some hardware stores, I know the place I work at (Doit-Best/HWI) its around 18 bucks for a VATS key.

I would look around some hardware stores before you go to the dealer.

I couldn't get it done because of the chip. But there might be somebody who can.