My battery died as I have let the car sit for a long time while working on some mods.

I tried an eliminator power pack boost - and it roared to life and died almost instantly. The battery pack was now out of juice too.

I tried to trickle charge the battery an it refused to accept any charge.
Tried to boost it - and all of a sudden I noticed when I put the key in the ignition, the security light came on (not flashing, just on) and my odometer panel was illuminated but completely blank.

Car cranks - but does not turn over.

Battery replaced. Identical security light and cranks but won't turn over.

Any suggestions? I'm about to replace the ignition cylinder but would obviously like to get around that.

Frustrated.

 

Take a ohm reader and measure the resistance on the key. Take that reading and go to radioshack and get a resistor/series of resistors that matches your ohms. Then take the plastic piece from underneath the dash on the driver side and find the wires for the key switch. I'm not 100 percent sure but I'm thinking they are a purple and white wire with maybe a black sleeve. unplug the plug in going to the key switch ( the one I thought was purple and white) and insert your resistor into the plug in making a connection of the 2 wires. That will bypass your VATS system. If you google VATS bypass you should get a lot of info on it. However I don't think the car will crank at all when its the lock cylinder. Mine wouldn't when I had the wrong resistor in anyway.

 

The fact that the car cranks is what's puzzling. I'd figured the security system wouldn't allow it to crank.

 

check your fuses?

 

Exactly, if it's the security system it won't crank, so no need in trying the resistor trick. Try a spritz of starter fluid to see if it's a fuel starvation issue?

 

Well, the security light does come on - and it never did that before.

I do fear a fuel issue - but I'm going to try the resistor trick tomorrow to rule it out.

Perhaps we could clear this up: what did your car do when security messed up your starting the car?

Did your odometer still read?

 

Update: I tried my car again hours later - and it displayed the odometer an no "security light" car turned over - and then it sputtered to death.

Then I tried to turn it over again, and the security light popped up, odometer gone and no turn over.

It appears vats related.

 

When my light cam on it wouldn't even crank, waited about 15 min the light was off and it started just like normal. I think your vats just kicked in, or your sect light came on then off and something else is keeping it from running.

 

See if you have a good locksmith in your area that does GM vats systems. I had an issue years back with my SS where he car would wouldn't start. The guy came to my house with a by-pass box, plugged it in, by-passed the vats system and the car started right up...my problem was the wires coming from the ignition cyinder were broken. He replaced the cylinder and gave me two new vats keys for $185.00, that was back in 2003. But something like this may help eliminate the vats system for you. OR if you know someone with a Pc and tuning software, they can tune out the vats system temporarly.

 

Vats = GM's way of ******* ls1 Owners!!

 

I "think" there might be a relearn procedure for the VATS. It sounds like your battery is/was dead and the PCM has flipped out.

IIRC the VATS kills the fuel on these cars not the crank.

Disregard my battery question, I reread and saw your replaced it.

 

Well it's in the hands of capable champion motors now. I'll advise.

 

Mice ate my engine harness.

 

As I recall, there's two levels of security engagement. Crank and run for just an instant then shut down OR no crank at all.

The first scenario allows you to let the system reset itself after a time period-simply opening the driver's door screws it up.

The second case is when there's no key resistance pill reading at all, caused by a bad key, dirty contacts or damaged wiring.

The system also knows when you're turning the ignition cylinder with no key whatsoever-like a thief using a screwdriver.

 

It was mice. They ate my engine harness

 

O OK, I was on the droid earlier and missed it.

Glad you found the problem!

Some squirrels nested in my sister-in-laws car some years ago. Crappy Oldsmobile Omega, they chewed through so much stuff the car was junked.