car wont start, security light on
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From: Allen Park, MI
car wont start, security light on drove the car tonight, security light came on when driving, stayed on for a bit, then went off, then when i went to start the car later on in the night it wouldnt start and the security light was on. what the **** do i do 
Clean the resistor pack in your key, and clean the contacts in the ignition switch (cotton swab dampened with alcohol - just damp, don't soak it, then let it dry before using it). See if that helps, could just be dirty contacts.
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From: Phoenix AZ
I had the vats computer that reads the keys go out twice on my 93 trans am. When it happend I cleaned everything and even bought a new key, nothing. Hopefully yours is just dirt as when mine did go out it did not give any warning. Drove that day to work and would not start when I left. I think you might be able to tune it out on 1994+ models.
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From: Allen Park, MI
ok, heres whats going on, i cleaned my key, and even tried my spare key, and when i go to start the car and the key is in the on position and when i go to crank the motor over the security light is flashing, and i dont remember it flashing when going to start the car.
and what the hell is the "vats" computer, i sound like a newbie again
and what the hell is the "vats" computer, i sound like a newbie again
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Thread Starter
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From: Allen Park, MI
well how the **** do you fix it, i really would like to drive my car to the tuner for my next tune and kind of want to fix this before i continue modding the car.
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From: Houston, TX
Found this on google from another site:
1. You need to know what resistance your key has before you even begin. Your f body has 1 of 15 keys that operate your car. It is up to YOU to find out which of the 15 it is. The best way to do this yourself is to use an ohm reader and measure your key. I would recomend testing both keys (if you have both sets) to get an accurate reading. To use the ohm reader to test your key, place the readers (one should be red and the other black) on the metal chips of your key. See picture. Your ohm reader will give you a measurement. Write this down. Do the same with the other key, and write it down. If both keys are good, you should get the same reading twice. If they are different then you will need to buy two resistors, one for each key. You will have to try the bypass twice to figure out which resistor will work for you. The part you are trying to measure is the small metal piece in the black oval.
2. Once you have the measurement go get your resistor. Price should be under 25 cents. Here are some sample resistors. Yours may be of a different color, so don't think that since yours doesn't look like this, that it is wrong. Mine was blue in color.
Then fold the wire like this...
3. Now time to go to your car. You will need to remove the bottom dash cover. It is held with two plastic clips and two screws (phillis head I believe). The plastic clips look like this.
and this...
And are located by your OBDII plug and above your E Brake. The two screw that hold it in place are further back.
4. Disconnect your trunk release switch. This makes it easier to do what is needed in the next steps. Like this you can pull the cover off and set it in the back seat, out of the way.
5. Now locate your wire harness that controls the VATS. It should have two wires. On set of wires has two white wires, the other side has one purple with a white line and the other one is white with a black line.
6. Disconnect the harness.
7. Insert your resistor thru the back side of the purple/white wire and white/black wire. There is no right or wrong way to put the resistor in. Just as long as you put one wire in each side. It should go ALL the way in. You want to be sure that the resistor touches the the wire inside.
8.At this pioint you are basically done. Go ahead and try to turn your car on. If your car does not start, pull the resistor out. Try to put the resistor in thru the front. Make sure that you can see that you are touching both metal pieces with the resistor. Try to start the vehicle now. If it does start, then you just need to keep trying to put the resistor in better from the back. I had to try putting in the resistor in three different times to finally get it in the right way. Sometimes it feels like it is in, but it is not. If you try it from the front and it wont start then you might have a key issue. New keys run around $60.00.
9. Once you have installed the resistor and your car did start. Use some electrical tape to keep it in place.
10. Tuck away the wires and connect your trunk release switch. Replace the dash cover with the two screws and the plastic clips.
Now you are done, so when ever you feel like spending the $300 or find someone to do the job for you cheaper you still have all the original wiring in place.
This can also be used to do the remote start on your car, IF you have an automatic. Alarm stores can do this for you but will charge you close to $100.00, I know, I asked.
This took me less than 30 minutes to do and all I spent was 8 cents on the resistor.
*Side note:
Once you disconnect the harness, put the key in the ignition and ohm check the wiring harness on the side with the two white wires.
If you get the value of the key then your problem with the VATS is somewhere else after the wiring harness...probably the BCM. The bypass won't work in this situation...
If you don't get the value of your key then there's a open somewhere before the wiring harness...or it could be the key itself. It's common for one of those white wires to break off the ignition cylinder after years of twisting...that is more then likely your problem. Either way the bypass will work if this is your situation.
2. Once you have the measurement go get your resistor. Price should be under 25 cents. Here are some sample resistors. Yours may be of a different color, so don't think that since yours doesn't look like this, that it is wrong. Mine was blue in color.
Then fold the wire like this...
3. Now time to go to your car. You will need to remove the bottom dash cover. It is held with two plastic clips and two screws (phillis head I believe). The plastic clips look like this.
and this...And are located by your OBDII plug and above your E Brake. The two screw that hold it in place are further back.
4. Disconnect your trunk release switch. This makes it easier to do what is needed in the next steps. Like this you can pull the cover off and set it in the back seat, out of the way.
5. Now locate your wire harness that controls the VATS. It should have two wires. On set of wires has two white wires, the other side has one purple with a white line and the other one is white with a black line.
6. Disconnect the harness.
7. Insert your resistor thru the back side of the purple/white wire and white/black wire. There is no right or wrong way to put the resistor in. Just as long as you put one wire in each side. It should go ALL the way in. You want to be sure that the resistor touches the the wire inside.
8.At this pioint you are basically done. Go ahead and try to turn your car on. If your car does not start, pull the resistor out. Try to put the resistor in thru the front. Make sure that you can see that you are touching both metal pieces with the resistor. Try to start the vehicle now. If it does start, then you just need to keep trying to put the resistor in better from the back. I had to try putting in the resistor in three different times to finally get it in the right way. Sometimes it feels like it is in, but it is not. If you try it from the front and it wont start then you might have a key issue. New keys run around $60.00.
9. Once you have installed the resistor and your car did start. Use some electrical tape to keep it in place.
10. Tuck away the wires and connect your trunk release switch. Replace the dash cover with the two screws and the plastic clips.
Now you are done, so when ever you feel like spending the $300 or find someone to do the job for you cheaper you still have all the original wiring in place.
This can also be used to do the remote start on your car, IF you have an automatic. Alarm stores can do this for you but will charge you close to $100.00, I know, I asked.
This took me less than 30 minutes to do and all I spent was 8 cents on the resistor.
*Side note:
Once you disconnect the harness, put the key in the ignition and ohm check the wiring harness on the side with the two white wires.
If you get the value of the key then your problem with the VATS is somewhere else after the wiring harness...probably the BCM. The bypass won't work in this situation...
If you don't get the value of your key then there's a open somewhere before the wiring harness...or it could be the key itself. It's common for one of those white wires to break off the ignition cylinder after years of twisting...that is more then likely your problem. Either way the bypass will work if this is your situation.
Now this is just a search I found so don't hold me to this, I've not had to do it on either one of my cars.
Peace,
Craig.
