Starting Problem

[Ghost~3~]

My '87 Vette has developed a "No Start" condition that POSSIBLY is related to the Vats System??

Had a NO Start about 8 Mo ago...Good Battery and "Everything" worked fine,
except for the NO START!! Had to have it Towed home,then it started up
just fine right off the tow truck! Grrrrrrr!!

So at 67,000 or so mile's, I figured the starter had died,and I replaced it with
a GM rebuilt from Chevy. Car now has 69,000 miles.

All has been "Fine" up till the past week....Problem is back AGAIN, I had just replaced the battery due to simply AGE, and then had a NO START!! I then
checked "ALL" connection's I could find under the hood, did the Tug/Pull on the various wire harnesses, checked fuses, and NOTHING!! Still No Start.

I had thing's to do, so I just dropped the hood closed and reached in to get
my key's and figured what the Hell....and it started right up!!

So a few day's later I take the Vette to work, ready to go home and.....
You guessed it! We try dropping the hood closed a FEW times...Nothing!!

So we jack the car up and jump the starter, I get home in the garage and
shut it off and try it...It Start's!!

So I've EITHER got a starter with a....."Bad Spot"....
Or there is a Loose connection SOMEWHERE under the Hood or in the Vat's.

This weekend I'll try starting the car a couple of dozen times to see if the Starter DOES have a Bad spot??

But is there a way to JUMP/DISABLE the Vat's if IT is the Problem???

[Moonunit 451]

If The VATS is activated you can jump the car till the battery dies. It won't start. Sounds like an intermitant problem. The Vats has a timeing system. If it's activeted you must wait approx 5 min, different folks have varying numbers, but 5 min, by the clock will be enough for the VATS to reset.

Do you have a spare ignition key, if so, try it. There are three components to the VATS as I recall. The key, most commonly the pellet will go bad. The ignition cylinder reader for the key, will go bad. And the computer that runs the VATS.

You can bypass the VATS fairly simply. Do a search, and or pull up my second ever post here, and learn more than you want to know

[SSTibet]

Get it towed again, must be something with the tow truck

[WhalePirot]

The jarring is shocking somehing into the proper position. When the starter was changed, was the solenoid also changed?

Perhaps the starter is a bit out of position. Youj might need to loosen and rotate it slightly or use a spacer to get it in the right position. My Suburban needed a hard rap with a tire iron, at times, to start. Properly positioned, it starts fine.

The Vette, on the other hand, had battery issues, even with new Red-Top Optimas (2). It seems there are problems with many of the newer ones, though some here have had better luck than I and my electrical shop have seen. A VAT test at the shop showed the battery to be holding a 'surface charge' only, that showed proper voltage, but would not start the car, usually when hot. After two starters and other parts, a new, non-Optima solved the problem.

I'd go simple on this before assuming it is the VATS. The ease and simplicity suggested by Moon makes sense though, whether trying another key or cleaning either.

[tyrel]

I strongly suspect the VATS, as the conditions you described are exactly the problems I had with two of my early C4s. If you turn the key and nothing happens, not even a click or anything, the VATS is probably acting up. There is a four-minute timeout before you can try again. The cheapest thing you can try first is to get a new ignition key made at the dealer, they will measure the resistance in the little pellet and order you a new key. Sometimes the pellet wears down and the contact points don't meet. If this doesn't work, it might be the VATS module itself, which is located behind the passenger side dash (I think).

[Ghost~3~]

Ok "Thank's" all, I'll take a look this weekend....Yes, I have a "Spare" key and tried it during the 1st No Start and....Nothing.

Yes! Solenoid was changed at SAME time as starter.

The NEW battery is NOT an Optima...It's an O.E. type.

Vat's is located behind dash on right side as per manual's at work.

[4vette]

hi i joined this forum last nite ti post this ,your problem is very like one i had it was corrosion .look at these wires thet are behind and below the batt. on the wires at the starting or jumper block behind the batt.claen them with batt. corrisiov remover,also one of the wires has a connector about 10" down the lead right under the clutch cyl. it turns into a fusiballink check that connector ,mine was green with age,its inside what looks like a 2"piece of vacume line .if you have a service enging soon lite that dosent work this will be where its loosing voltage and intermitent good luck

[Ripp 73]

Hello 4vette

Greetings and welcome to the CAC. You have a very good idea about looking for junk on the cables at the connections. I actually had that problem with my pick'em up and just cleaned the cables and everything has been wonderful ever since. Hope you enjoy the forums.

~Ripp

[Hrtbeat1]

hi i joined this forum last nite ti post this ,your problem is very like one i had it was corrosion .look at these wires thet are behind and below the batt. on the wires at the starting or jumper block behind the batt.claen them with batt. corrisiov remover,also one of the wires has a connector about 10" down the lead right under the clutch cyl. it turns into a fusiballink check that connector ,mine was green with age,its inside what looks like a 2"piece of vacume line .if you have a service enging soon lite that dosent work this will be where its loosing voltage and intermitent good luck

Iv'e seen this many times, and is always the first place I check. Clean each of the terminals with a wire brush and apply a little electrolytic anti-seize (Vasoline will work) to each. Reassemble and give it a try.

[Ghost~3~]

hi i joined this forum last nite ti post this ,your problem is very like one i had it was corrosion .look at these wires thet are behind and below the batt. on the wires at the starting or jumper block behind the batt.claen them with batt. corrisiov remover,also one of the wires has a connector about 10" down the lead right under the clutch cyl. it turns into a fusiballink check that connector ,mine was green with age,its inside what looks like a 2"piece of vacume line .if you have a service enging soon lite that dosent work this will be where its loosing voltage and intermitent good luck

Thank's 4Vette,Yup I "LOOKED" and cleaned around them when I had the OLD battery out along with cleaning the Battery Tray Out....Actually that area was rather clean anyway...But I'll give that area LOWER DOWN you described a CHECK just to be "Sure"!!