VATS no start issue solved
VATS no start issue solved I wanted to detail the VATs issue I experienced with my 98 Camaro z28 and how I was able to solve it. This can be a helpful reference for those that experience the same issue.
Issue:
I went to start the car one day and had a no start condition. After a couple of tries, it finally turned over and fired right up. After a few weeks, this happened more frequently and eventually the security light would turn on and stay solid if I tried to turn it over with the key. After 2.5 minutes the solid security light would turn off and I could start the car no problem. This lasted approximately for another month. Speed up to now, the car would not start at all and the security light would blink instead of being solid. Car would absolutely not start at all at this point. I was pretty sure it must be something in the steering column since it did this with both my keys I have. We put the key in the ignition and tested the ohms past the steering column at the connector and there was no reading therefore the problem was definitely either the key or something inside the steering column.
After testing the key, it was 1865 ohm resistance, which matched up to the VATS passkey #7 resistance level (1870 ohms) , so I got 3 resistors that added up to 1870 ohms. We cut the orange sleeved wires that come from the steering column a few inches before the connector piece that goes into the harness. We soddered the resistors together and put shrinkwrap around them then soddered it in where we cut the wires and plugged it back into the harness. Fired right up, problem solved. Took all of 30 minutes to complete. This was my first VATs issue and hopefully my last since it stranded me at a gas station and had to get towed home when it finally bit the dust. Made it 22 years before failing though, so not too bad!
Robby
Issue:
I went to start the car one day and had a no start condition. After a couple of tries, it finally turned over and fired right up. After a few weeks, this happened more frequently and eventually the security light would turn on and stay solid if I tried to turn it over with the key. After 2.5 minutes the solid security light would turn off and I could start the car no problem. This lasted approximately for another month. Speed up to now, the car would not start at all and the security light would blink instead of being solid. Car would absolutely not start at all at this point. I was pretty sure it must be something in the steering column since it did this with both my keys I have. We put the key in the ignition and tested the ohms past the steering column at the connector and there was no reading therefore the problem was definitely either the key or something inside the steering column.
After testing the key, it was 1865 ohm resistance, which matched up to the VATS passkey #7 resistance level (1870 ohms) , so I got 3 resistors that added up to 1870 ohms. We cut the orange sleeved wires that come from the steering column a few inches before the connector piece that goes into the harness. We soddered the resistors together and put shrinkwrap around them then soddered it in where we cut the wires and plugged it back into the harness. Fired right up, problem solved. Took all of 30 minutes to complete. This was my first VATs issue and hopefully my last since it stranded me at a gas station and had to get towed home when it finally bit the dust. Made it 22 years before failing though, so not too bad!
Robby
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,330
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
The security light will turn on solid when it is able to read a key but gets a reading that doesn't match the original key. The light flashes when it can't get a reading at all. If VATS detects an incorrect reading while the car is running, it will turn on the light but assume it is a system fault and allow the car to be restarted. If it detects the wrong value during startup, it assumes an incorrect key and will not allow another attempt to start for about three minutes. If it is unable to detect a key, it will not start at all on the assumption that someone is trying to steal the car (i.e. using a slide hammer to pull the ignition cylinder).
