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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 08:27 PM
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Keith Tanner's Avatar
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Default Quick wiring question

Okay, 1998 Camaro engine and wiring harness. It's in its new home, but other than a quick cough it's not firing.

I don't have a tach hooked up, but I do have an OBD-II scanner that displays real-time data. I'm showing 0 rpm when cranking. I've checked the wiring for both the cam sensor (back of the engine) and the crank sensor (by the starter). The engine was running when I pulled it from the Camaro, so I have no reason to doubt the sensors.

Should I see rpm on the OBD-II scanner when cranking? I can see airflow on the MAF. Does the tach need to be connected in order for the PCM to fire?

There is a large sensor right beside the cam sensor that's not plugged in. I'm not 100% sure what it is. It takes two wires.

Thanks!

Last edited by Keith Tanner; Oct 6, 2010 at 08:42 PM.
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 09:17 PM
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Do you have a VATS bypass or have it tuned out? If not, that will cause it to not start. The sender by the cam is the oil pressure sender, you don't need it. Also you don't need the tach hooked up for it to run.
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 09:18 PM
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Ah, of course. Thank you. The answer, of course, is "no". That makes perfect sense.

I have access to HPTuners through work. I'll turn the VATS off tomorrow. And thanks for the reminder on the oil pressure sender - I'm going to convert to a mechanical gauge and I have the adapter. I just forgot.

Last edited by Keith Tanner; Oct 6, 2010 at 09:27 PM.
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Old Oct 8, 2010 | 06:22 PM
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A final followup: it worked! With the VATS turned off, the engine fired right up. Thanks for the quick reply, ls1nova71.

An interesting note - most of the reports I've seen of VATS interference had the engine starting and immediately dying. In my case, it wouldn't even get that far.
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Old Oct 8, 2010 | 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Keith Tanner
An interesting note - most of the reports I've seen of VATS interference had the engine starting and immediately dying. In my case, it wouldn't even get that far.
The truck setup will start and die. Car setup with OE wiring it won't even crank.
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