Car won’t start sometimes.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: KY
Car won’t start sometimes. I have a 2002 Trans Am and it’s starting to not start sometimes. The VATS is already bypassed with resistors and there is no security light on. When I turn the key the car does nothing but I can hear something clicking in engine bay. I have found that if I keep turning the key, the car eventually cranks and fires up. Any ideals?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: KY
Not yet. That was actually the next thing I was going to check. The car is at my parents house so I can’t check them at moment. This problem just appeared out the blue and the car only has 62k miles on it so I was hoping it’s something simple.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: KY
Don’t think it’s temperature related since it happens on hot and cold days. It honestly seems to be random. I got in the car over the weekend and it started fine but sometimes it just does nothing.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 265
From: Bossier City, Louisiana
My 70 El Camino had a similar problem when I had the PCM wired incorrectly when I first did my engine swap. I did not have permanent (as in ignition key does not matter) 12 volt "keep alive" power to the PCM memory wire. At least for my "896" and "411" PCM's, they have keep alive power wires and boot up / operating power wires. Without 12 volts to the memory keep alive wires, the PCM has forgotten its learned parameters which makes initial starting difficult.
But it will eventually start . . . 4-5 difficult ignition key turns later. Stumble, cough, cough, slow idle, cough . . . . . and finally, settles out.
Rick
But it will eventually start . . . 4-5 difficult ignition key turns later. Stumble, cough, cough, slow idle, cough . . . . . and finally, settles out.
Rick
I have a 2002 Trans Am and it’s starting to not start sometimes. The VATS is already bypassed with resistors and there is no security light on. When I turn the key the car does nothing but I can hear something clicking in engine bay. I have found that if I keep turning the key, the car eventually cranks and fires up. Any ideals?
Take a look at this F-body BCM repair guide - the bcm is easy to pop out and you can either solder it yourself if you are handy, or whip it over to an electronics place and they will touch it up for pretty cheap.
My guess is this is going to fix your issue 9 times out of 10
