Lately the car has had the security light on, still starts, but the light stays on. Once and awhile when I turn the key to power the sec. light will flash and when I go to start the car it won't. If I manipulate the key numerous times, the light will eventually stop blinking thus allowing me to start my car. Once it starts, the light stays on all the time.

Soooo, tonight I went under the dash and unplugged this sensor http://shbox.com/1/air_bag_disc_2.jpg (the one with the 2 white wires wrapped in the orange) and the car still started!!! Should the car have not started with this unplugged. Is VATS maybe not my problem. SOMEONE HELP!!

 

u unplugged the air bags. . . and expected to not start ur car?

 

uh, he said he unplugged the 2 white wires wrapped in orange, that is the correct one for VATS





the system is designed to keep starting if it looses the resistor signal while running(since it is a probable electrical failure), it only keeps it from starting if it had a good signal when it was shut off, and has the wrong(missing) signal on the next attempted start

sounds like either your key contacts are worn, or the wires at the ingnition cyl. are frayed

If I were you, leave the connector unplugged and see if it keeps starting, if it does, time to look into replacing the cylinder

 

oops ok my bad, wasnt looking at it correctly.

 

My car is doing the same thing. I believe the VATS module is either in the BCM or computer. It hasn't been that bothersome for me so I haven't tried to fix it. Also on my car the seat belt light stays on no matter what and the ebrake light doesn't work anymore. I might have to replace both the computer and BCM.

 

Dave said it.

Sounds like you are having an intermittent problem. The system constantly monitors for the pellet resistance. Apparently, it was working properly at times and then maybe the next time you tried your key, it failed. Other times it failed after you had already started the engine.

 

in cars without a BCM, it is a seperate "Theft Deterant/VATS Module", in cars with a BCM, it is internal to the BCM


why?, you need to do some diagnostics on the problems first, it could be as easy as a connector unpluged somewhere(under the console?.......)

 

Maybe i missed something though but he said he unplugged the key cylinder and then the car started. Why would it do that? He wouldn't be getting the right resistor value.

 

This happened in my '97 at one point. There might be a very easy solution.

In my case, this was right after I bought the car and the key was very dirty. I cleaned off the resistor pellet and lock cylinder with a q-tip and some rubbing alchohol, then re-lubed the ignition cylinder lock with graphite lock lube. Problem ended immediately, and has been gone for over a year now.

 

As already said, if it fails to read the pellet after the engine has been started, you will continue to be able to start the engine as long as it stays broke.

 

UPDATE!!

Did some more research tonight.......anyways, ended up splicing in the resistor I had made that matched my keys and BAM, no more security light!

Car starts, light doesnt come on.

I was a bit baffled at first when the car wouldnt start with that plug disconnected, but I read somewhere that there is a "mode" the car goes into or something. Anyways, this guy had the same situation as me....spliced the thing in, and it worked for him to.

Thanks for all the help guys, greatly appreciated!

 

"Fault enable mode".

 

yup, thats the one Shoe. Now the car is in "fixed" mode, lol