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Hi there! I am new to the forum and hopefully I can find some helpful answers here. I have a 2002 Camaro, 5.7, t56. I’ve done a whole overhaul on the car and have just now got it back together. I had the dash out and did an ac delete (modified and kept the heater box) along with a new motion raceworks steering column. I’ve got everything back together and I thought I had the wiring right but I can’t seem to get the car to crank. Pump comes on and everything else seems to work. All fuses have power ect. I thought the problem was with VATS so I ordered hp tuners and tried to turn vats off. When I hit the start button I get power to the start fuse, at the relay I can see the high voltage power but can’t seem to get the signal on the low side of the relay. After getting the dash and steering shaft in I have a plug that I don’t know where it went or belong. Clutch switch and neutral switch seem to be plugged in. I can also jump the starter with a screw driver so I know it works. I heard some people talk about the security lights when cranking and mine still flash both on the dash and cluster. Might be more to it than I am aware.
Let me know if there is anything else I can post to help. I will try and get some pictures of the plugs in question. Thanks in advance!
I don't think that vintage VATS will interrupt cranking circuit. If your starter relay is not getting ground signal, you may have a ground wire dangling somewhere.
I think the '02 have a set of plastic gears in the column that have to index correctly between the key-LOCK cylinder and the actual ignition switch contactor, those gears could be out of time, but ONLY if you messed around there.
My bet is that your Clutch interlock (safety) switch has either broken, or had a pin pulled out of it's connector.
Bypass the clutch interlock switch to TEST. MAKE DAMN SURE THE TRANSMISSION IS IN NEUTRAL, and try not to run over any bystanders.
Last edited by Full Power; Mar 6, 2024 at 05:09 PM.
Reason: spell
I don't think that vintage VATS will interrupt cranking circuit. If your starter relay is not getting ground signal, you may have a ground wire dangling somewhere.
I think the '02 have a set of plastic gears in the column that have to index correctly between the key-LOCK cylinder and the actual ignition switch contactor, those gears could be out of time, but ONLY if you messed around there.
My bet is that your Clutch interlock (safety) switch has either broken, or had a pin pulled out of it's connector.
Bypass the clutch interlock switch to TEST. MAKE DAMN SURE THE TRANSMISSION IS IN NEUTRAL, and try not to run over any bystanders.
thank so for the reply. Being a manual it looks like it only uses the clutch switch. The ground on the start relay is controlled by the BCM, and it looks like that’s what I’m fighting. Going to do a direct ground today and bypass the BCM. I will let you know if it works. 🍻
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
This is a classic VATS situation.
As has been mentioned many times before, it is not possible to disable VATS by programming the PCM. VATS is in the BCM (which is not programmable) and controls two functions to prevent engine starting. One is that it disable the fuel enable signal to the PCM - this is what programming the PCM can fix by telling it to ignore the missing fuel enable signal. The other is that it disables the ground to the coil side of the starter relay preventing the starter from cranking.
Your new steering column probably doesn't support the VATS contacts which connect the resistor pellet in the ignition key to the BCM. Assuming you still have the factory instrument cluster, you should see the SECURITY light flashing because it can't see any resistor (open circuit). The best solution is a VATS bypass - measure the resistance of the original ignition key pellet and duplicate that at the connector under the dash. There are numerous threads detailing how to do a VATS bypass that a quick search will find. The other option, since you've already programmed the PCM to ignore the missing fuel enable signal, is to route the starter relay coil circuit ground (yellow/black wire) to a chassis ground in place of it going to the BCM. Doing that will allow the engine to start although it won't get rid of the SECURITY light - maybe some black electrical tape would be good enough for that.
As has been mentioned many times before, it is not possible to disable VATS by programming the PCM. VATS is in the BCM (which is not programmable) and controls two functions to prevent engine starting. One is that it disable the fuel enable signal to the PCM - this is what programming the PCM can fix by telling it to ignore the missing fuel enable signal. The other is that it disables the ground to the coil side of the starter relay preventing the starter from cranking.
Your new steering column probably doesn't support the VATS contacts which connect the resistor pellet in the ignition key to the BCM. Assuming you still have the factory instrument cluster, you should see the SECURITY light flashing because it can't see any resistor (open circuit). The best solution is a VATS bypass - measure the resistance of the original ignition key pellet and duplicate that at the connector under the dash. There are numerous threads detailing how to do a VATS bypass that a quick search will find. The other option, since you've already programmed the PCM to ignore the missing fuel enable signal, is to route the starter relay coil circuit ground (yellow/black wire) to a chassis ground in place of it going to the BCM. Doing that will allow the engine to start although it won't get rid of the SECURITY light - maybe some black electrical tape would be good enough for that.
thank you! I found the other related posts after deleting mine. Grounded the yellow and black wire and it now cranks with the button. I appreciate the reply
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Starter trouble shooting 
