SECURITY Light on
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From: Mesa, AZ
If you push started it i dont think its vats, mine was automatic, but i would put the key in the on position and hotwired it, and it would run for a second then the vats would kill it
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From: St Joseph, MO
Well I don't believe it is the lock cylinder. I unplugged the VATS connector, and tested the wires coming from the lock cyl, with the key in the ign, and it is reading the same resistance value as the pellet in the key. I tried the resistor bypass and still no start. So this tells me it's not the lock cyl?? What next??
Correct- its not the lock cylinder.With the proper resistance at that plug, it goes to the theft deterent module which controls a relay that is used to stop the engine from cranking if the proper resistance is not sensed by opening the circuit to the starter solenoid switch.
You need to know if you have 12V to ground on the purple wire on the starter solenoid while cranking-this will tell you if the starter enable relay is working( and that the starter isn't)
I got all this from a 1995 manual but should be the same for 1996
You need to know if you have 12V to ground on the purple wire on the starter solenoid while cranking-this will tell you if the starter enable relay is working( and that the starter isn't)
I got all this from a 1995 manual but should be the same for 1996
Yes, one should be purple. One lead goes to that- the other lead goes to ground and you should have 12volts there while turning the key to start.Which means you need a helper- dont forget most meters you have to change from ohm scale to volts DC scale to read.If no voltage then we have to figure out where we are losing it.If it is there and the big red wire from battery is hooked to starter then starter is bad.
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From: St Joseph, MO
I tested the wire to the starter. It's getting power. And to double check, I had Autozone test the starter for me and said it was good. So now what's next?? Im going to try and change the ignition switch for now. The security light doesn't blink, it just stays solid.
Last edited by Spiers; Jan 19, 2009 at 03:05 PM.
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From: St Joseph, MO
Yes that's true. And the ignition switch is a big no. I suppose I will try a new starter tomorrow anyway. There is actually voltage at the purple wire whether cranking or not.
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I am having this same issue...Last six months or more off and on the car hesitates to start and I have to hold the key on. The doors lock and then it starts. Security light comes on sometimes but not always. Have gone under the steering column and I have an aftermarket alarm system that was installed before I bought the car. I cannot find the harness that is mentioned in this thread. Could the people who did the install on the alarm have already disconnected the vats?
If you have 12 volts at the purple wire terminal, the starter should be running( provided the big cable from the battery is connected).The fact that you have it all the time means the ignition switch is bad and must of harmed your starter!But lets be sure before buying parts.
Unhook purple wire and hook meter lead to wire by itself and other lead to ground-turn key to on-you have volts?Turn to run-volts? Turn to start-volts?
Should only be during start.
Now move to starter,purple wire unhooked but big wire from battery still hooked-jump from big terminal to terminal that had purple wire on it and starter should run or is bad.In this test we just got 12volts from a different source than the purple wire-actually directly from battery.A new starter can be bench tested this way using battery cables - one cable to ground,hot one to big terminal and a small jumper wire from hot to where purple wire hooked up.
I think I would take starter in with you and have it retested and checked against new one. And if you always have volts on purple wire- you need new ignition switch.
Unhook purple wire and hook meter lead to wire by itself and other lead to ground-turn key to on-you have volts?Turn to run-volts? Turn to start-volts?
Should only be during start.
Now move to starter,purple wire unhooked but big wire from battery still hooked-jump from big terminal to terminal that had purple wire on it and starter should run or is bad.In this test we just got 12volts from a different source than the purple wire-actually directly from battery.A new starter can be bench tested this way using battery cables - one cable to ground,hot one to big terminal and a small jumper wire from hot to where purple wire hooked up.
I think I would take starter in with you and have it retested and checked against new one. And if you always have volts on purple wire- you need new ignition switch.
You have a newer model and wiring may be different I have to look but if you don't have volts on the small wire on starter when you should it may not be ignition switch because there is probably a starter disable relay involved.Ill check later-got to go- Good Luck!
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From: St Joseph, MO
Ok it has a new ignition switch and a new starter. Still does the same thing and won't start. And get this, after I got the starter on, when I hooked the negative battery cable back up, the starter was turning over on its own for a second until I unhooked the battery cable again. When I hooked it back up again the alternator started to turn for a split second. Now it's all hooked up and we're back to square one. I'm lost!! I don't know where to turn next and thanks for your help especially lovinmyls1.
The big black cable actually comes from positive battery terminal-if purple wire was already hooked up and is somehow getting volts all the time then starter would run when you hook up black wire.
Was the purple wire hooked up already?Did you check volts on it when disconnected?
Was the purple wire hooked up already?Did you check volts on it when disconnected?
my security light came on last year November 2007... tried everything to get rid of that damn light and finally gave up, might try cleaning the key with alcohol again...
thing is my car has turned on and ran fine with no problems!
thing is my car has turned on and ran fine with no problems!
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From: St Joseph, MO
Okay, with the starter on and only the purple wire disconnected, using the black wire at the starter(battery) as a ground, there is no voltage at all. And when I began to hook the purple wire back up, it touched the starter itself and it took off and started while I was under the car.
Last edited by Spiers; Jan 21, 2009 at 03:43 PM.
The black wire on starter from battery is not ground-it's hot.One meter lead on that and the other on ground should read volts.What I would like to know is this:purple wire off starter,one meter lead on purple wire, one lead on any ground-body of starter,frame etc.Any reading?