86 DOA in garage

[Moonunit 451]

This is what I initially came for, but having been involved in other forums I read all the available pages here and I think I found My answer on the last page, of course:duh . I should know by now to start there. Briefly, I drove my car home Wednsday night and when I got up to go to work Thursday morning, no go. Nothing to the starter----not a click. Battery good.

After much adoo I pulled the code. It came up VATS. So I'll try the bypass so I can get it too the shop. Thanks everyone. This looks like a great forum. I hope I can work through this with what I've got or I'll be back with further on this question. I think it's the reader or the module. Both keys are in very good shape.

While I'm here My antenna won't go down and I'd like to fix it. There was a thread regarding this and it had a link that was no good. I'll have other stereo quetions later, but for now if anyone would like to throw me any ideas on either of these items I'd be happy. Thanks.

 

[JonM]

No matter what you have lost, you always find it in the last place you look. Can you hear the antenna motor running when you shut off the radio? It could be just a broken ribbon...Here is a site to look at Click Here

 

[Moonunit 451]

JonM,

Tell me about it.

No motor sound. Was there just the two paragraphs and order info on that link? The page doesn't seem to be loading fully for me. Thought it was an article. Thanks.

Still trying to figurre out the ohms or resistance on my keys. I ahve a multimeter but only know how to use it by trial and error. Looks like both keys show 3.02 on the 20k scale.It doesn't seem like this coinsides with any of the figures that I found on this page.
http://www.asttraining.com/Files/vats1.pdf

Can anyone give me a little gudence here? Boy, a spellchecker would sure be nice here. Thanks.

 

[JonM]

That site above-you need to click on "Continue" at the top of the page to see the rest.

Antenna-Check your fuses both CTSY/CLK and RDO. If they are OK, open your hatch (assuming its a coupe) remove the trim where the latch is...under that trim is an antenna relay. Turn radio on/car off...check for voltage in the pink wire, orange wire, and dark green wire. If all are OK...Turn radio on/car on connect a spare wire from the black wire to a good ground. Antenna should move..if it does...you have a bad ground. If it doesn't you may have a bad motor...I would first spend a 5 dollar bill and replace the relay anyway...Check for voltage at the antenna motor (dark green wire) Also check to see if youcan connect a known grown to the gray side of the motor and a known 12v to the green.

As far as your VATS system goes...I don't have one in my car so I really am not the person to ask ...vigman has some good advise on electrical problems and vats...just do a search.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

You have a key # 9. 3.02 on the 20K range = 3020 Ohms (¨3010 Ohms acceptable range 2890 – 3150¨).

The early VATS had problems with the contacts inside the tumbler. From what others have said, your best bet is to do the by-pass operation.

Do not buy the kit, it is dog easy to work it out your self and you will get some experience using that new Ohmmeter of yours. Believe me; women love a man who knows how to measure their resistance. Too bad vacuum tubes are a thing of the past. I used to know some real cool tricks for a grid dip meter.

 

[vigman]

Spanish

"I used to know some real cool tricks for a grid dip meter."

Woah..you just dated yourself dude!

Next thing you will want to do is replace the oil pressure gauge with a 6E5 "Eye tube"

Vig!

Woah..I just dated myself! YIKES

 

[Moonunit 451]

SPANISHVETTS, Thank you so much! I wish I understood this stuff. My best friend is an accomplished auto repair tech with his own shop and couldn't answer the question. Are my keys bad? Their out of the range.

Haven't had a lot of luck with women lately, maybe I can learn more here soon.. This car was kind of a "one for me" deal after my last divorce. I was looking for an HD but couldn't find one I liked in my price range. Wouldn't you know someone parked this thing at the end of my street. I always wanted a Vette, like most guys, and it is a really nice one I got at a reasonable price in a body style I love. I prefer the early stingray, but I like the modern technology.

The C-5's are the kill. I've owned a LOT of cars, but I will say I have a healthy respect for this one. I hope one day to be able to drive it with the confidence to take it close to it's limits, but damn scary so far. The problem as I see it, is that when you aproach the limit, you're going so damn fast, there's not much room for error. This is not a particularly forgiving car as far as I can tell.

 

[Moonunit 451]

JonM,

Ahhhh, ok, how stupid am I? geeez.

vigman,

I've seen yor great advice ALL over this forum. I'll be looking for you. I think a whole lot of us that can somehow afford this love and hobby are dated. But, I gotta say, you lost me on this post . Later.

 

[Jeffvette]

What part of Oregon are you from?

 

[Moonunit 451]

Beavercreek, just out of Oregon City, S of Portland, not far from you. Haven't checked on local clubs yet, But I want to get out on PIR.

 

[Moonunit 451]

Avatar makes no sense without signature, should be automatic. Thats how I profiled dammit !

 

[Moonunit 451]

Tryin' it again.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Moonunit,
If it was my car I would go for the bypass. The VATS is not going to stop a pro from taking your car and a stupid punk will %u@& up the lock and column so bad that you will wish he got away with the car.

Go to RadioShack, buy a 3000 ohm ¼ watt resister and splice it in.

Vig has given excellent ¨how tos¨ on this forum. Do a search here for VATS and follow his instructions. You will be back on the road in no time at all.

 

[Moonunit 451]

SPANISHVETTS,

Thanks a lot. Radioshack is near buy. There's nothing like being led by the hand for a nUb! You Rock:J .

Colin

 

[vigman]

Moon ( VATS 101)

The vats bypass cha-cha

Running down the shaft are the infamous VATS key sence wires...in my experience when the wheel comes apart that get pulled & tugged... and IF it was starting to wear out this dosent help the process.

A quick way to check is the following get out your handy dandy OHM meter and measure the pellet on the key, write down the number ( eg 11.8k ) this is the value of the resistor to enable the VATS.

Now tear out the hush panel under the drivers side, and find a small 2 pin connector ( with 2 white wires and orange sleeving) These are the wires from the key switch that contact the pellet. Disconnect the connector and measure the resistance with the key out ( should be OPEN ) and then put the key in
and you SHOULD get the exact same reading as when you measured from the key directly. Jiggle the key around and see if is intermittant.

If it is, there are 2 ways to approach the problem.

1) Go to Radio Shack and get a resistor close to the same value ( +/- 10 %) or do the math and get a few to put in series to get the number closer to the resistive value on the key. Clip lead the new resistor value on the other side ( MALE ) portion of the connector to see if it starts. If that works
solder it in nicely to that connector, and DO NOT plug the steering coluum connector back in! This defeats the VATS system so option #2

2) Have the key switch assy replaced ( Expensive )
You'll have VATS restored but... any theif who wants your car knows about the VATS anyway so it does provide a slim margin of anti theft. I myself
have put a secret switch over by the vats and is shorts the key sence line out, & breaks the fuel pump line.

MY .02 cents

 

[vigman]

And this

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/for...=13681&perpage=15&highlight=VATS&pagenumber=1

Vig!

 

[Moonunit 451]

Ok, I went and had the keys checked at the dealership. They were indeed # 9. They both registered on the machine, so ,I guess that means they're ok? Then I went to radio shack. They had 1k's and 3.3k's for the resisters. I bought both. Will the 3.3 work or do I need to use 3 - 1k's?

That was the easy part. Then I came home and broke the hush panel when I removed it. The part by the heater duct. Still easy. Fortunately It doesn't look like anyone has been in here like many of the other stoyies I've read. Unfortunatelly, I can't find anything on the column that resembles any of the info I've gotten. So I'm stuck.

Viggman,
" find a small 2 pin connector ( with 2 white wires and orange sleeving)"
No white wires with orange sleeve.
From this page
http://www.asttraining.com/Files/vats1.pdf
No white connectors, no female conectors comming from ignition side.

I did find a small black connector comming down the column with a male connector coming from the ignition side. It has to thin guage yellow wires with a black sleeve comming down the column and plugs into th female black connector that has a yellow and brown wire, larger guage, maybe 18 or 20 that heads off toward the DIS or whatever its called where the security and other idiot lites are at.

Do you think this is it? There's really nothing else that I see that resembles what we're talking about here. Thanks for any help. I've read a fair ammount of the threads on the VATS search, but still more to go. We've looked at the schematics for the 84 and 87, but the wire colors don't match.

I don't see anywhere to post photos here, but I have taken a couple and could e-mail, Don't know if they'd help or not. It's kind of difficult to get any perspective in that area.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

You will need to get the 3 1K resistors and connect them in series or you could buy a precision Pot. (This is a variable resistor that looks like a 1/8 ¨square by ½¨ long chocolate bar with a tiny screw sticking out of one end and 3 tiny wires out of the bottom.) Then using your Ohmmeter adjust the resistance across one of the end wires and the middle wire to 3020 ohms. Cut off the third wire, you have no use for it. You could ask the RS guy to do this for you. Now you have a precision resistor with exactly the characteristics your VATS is looking for. If you go for the 3 1K resistors get a piece of heat-shrink tube to cover the boys, it will make a cleaner and more reliable installation.

As far as which plug you are looking for you will need to get VIGMAN in on the action. I do not have any manuals here for the 86.

Does your car have an AIRBAG? If it does do not touch any wires in a yellow sleeve with out first consulting VIG or C4C5SPECIALIST.

To post a pick here you can go to the bottom of the POST REPLY window to the Attach file: box, click on Browse and select the picture file you want to post. There is a size limitation so make your pick a low-rez JPEG like this:

I correct myself, it should say adjust to 3010 ohms.

 

[Moonunit 451]

Thanks for the info SPANISHVETTS.

I don't have airbags, so I don't have to worry about that. I sure am hoping VIGMAN or someone who can help with this comes back and takes a look.

I'll have to resize my photo's.

 

[JonM]

Here is a site that explains the location for you...

http://www.corvetteforum.com/techtips/viewsubtopic.php?SubTopicID=153&TopicID=2