random no start
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
From: college station, tx.
random no start Heres the details, its a 93 Z28 camaro 150k on the clock. Sometimes when i go to start it will not crank, everything powers up, i get the loud click, and the fuel pump is working fine. It shouldn't be the starter because it only has about 700 miles on it, and when it does crank it always fires right up. It will usually crank and (always) start after about 10sec-1min if i hold the key in the start position. No pertinent codes, so about the only things i could think of were corrosion on cables somwhere (cleaned battery terminals and the other ones), or lock cylinder, any other ideas/advice would be appreciated? Thanks.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
From: college station, tx.
I am pretty sure its not the starter, not so sure about vats tho, the security light is on all the time, but it never affects anything (it does fire right up on most tries) so i don't think that is it, im prolly gonna tear into the column and see if it is some wires around the ignition cylinder.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville,Tn
If it has the resistor in the key then that could be getting worn out. My dad has the spare set of keys to my car and they have been used maybe 5 times and the car wont start with them now. He kept them in his pocket with about 20 other keys bangin and rubbing them for the last 9 years and I guess that's what wore them out. I have vats turned off on mine now because of that.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 669
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From: Charlotte, NC
if you hear the selinoid click then it has nothing to do with the Passkey system. It's either a faulty starter(just because it's new doesn't mean it's good), a week battery or a bad connection (IE loose or coroded battery termonals.
Check your ground wire, when I rebuilt the top half of my motor we didn't connect the ground wire properly and she would have a problem starting sometimes. It took two or three starters before i realized that(oops)just my .02 good luck
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Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 245
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From: college station, tx.
Ok, i deff. hear the solenoid click, what if some of the battery cables were corroded on the inside, anyone think that would cause this? if so any good ways of cleaning them? Ive cleaned the terminals extremely well. Ill prolly pull all the wires from the starte and try to inspect them real close tomorrow.
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TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 305
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From: Las Vegas.. back in san jose..
first off i have heard of this VATS thing b/c i was installing my Tach in my car and afte the instaLL it would not start. My buddy was telling me about Vats but i didnt know much about it i guess u have to punch in some code to ur radio...??? also when my car wouldnt start i cut the wire for the Tach and it started right up...im not sure if u have installe anything lately but that was my problem i had put the wire to the wrong white wire alls it took was a ship and it fired up... 
i had the same situation TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville,Tn
If you hear the solenoid click when you try to start it then most likely it's not vats. Not sure if 93's are different but vats disables the starter and I think the fuel too. It's gotta be either a bad starter or bad connection somewhere. Does it do it when the motor is hot, cold or just whenever?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
From: college station, tx.
Its usually when it the engine is cold, but sometimes its just totally random. I want to say that it was doing this with the old starter also. Next time it does it ill tap the starter with something, but i mean i won't really know for sure since it might just have started up no matter what. Any good ways to clean the battery wires to get rid of corrosion?
Originally Posted by speedluv
VATS? Do 93's have the key pellet?
All F-bodies since 1989 have had VATs. If the Vats messes up it wont even click. I doubt its Vats any way, its either a battery power problem or the starter isnt wired up right.
i have true fix for this problem. i have had this on my own vehical and many other GM cars. the problem is in the purple solenoid wire. this wire starts at the battery, goes to the fuse box under the hood, gets sliced, then the actual solenoid stater wire goes to the ignition switch, from there it goes to the VATs relay through the dash, then through the fire wall to the starter. this wire is vary vary long with many connectors and switch power needs to go through. your problem is a high resistence issue that does not allow the solenoid to activate. once the solenoid makes its electrical contact it will start no problem. 
the fix is to use a relay where the purple wire goes from the pass side dash through the fire wall to the starter. use the purple wire on the low side of the relay and run a 10ga wire from the battery for the high side then to the starter. basic relay hook up.
this is vary simple to do and only took me 15 min but i already knew where the wire were. find a wiring diagram and this is a sure fix
by the way, i am a cert. tech and there if info on the idem from GM for all of their vehicals
contact me with any information
the fix is to use a relay where the purple wire goes from the pass side dash through the fire wall to the starter. use the purple wire on the low side of the relay and run a 10ga wire from the battery for the high side then to the starter. basic relay hook up.
this is vary simple to do and only took me 15 min but i already knew where the wire were. find a wiring diagram and this is a sure fix
by the way, i am a cert. tech and there if info on the idem from GM for all of their vehicals
contact me with any information