I just got my old stock motor out of my 1995 TA and put in a 94Z motor (355 in my signature). I took out my PCM and put in the PCM that the guy had been using on his motor in his car. It will not crank up with the PCM from the 94Z. The security light on the dashboard comes on. However, when he puts my old PCM back in there, it cranks up. What is the deal!?

 

Are you sure you're swapping over the PCM not some other module? (the PCM is located under the hood on the passenger side, near the firewall)
It should work fine as long as his car was also a 6 speed...even if it was an auto, it should still run.

 

Yea, I know. I'm not actually the one doing it. He is.

Yes, his car also had a 6-speed.

Could it be a problem with my alarm system? Because the SECURITY light on the dash is coming on. I'm pretty sure that even with a fried computer, it would still run. What irks me is that whenever he swaps my computer back in there, it cranks right up. He was talking about sending my computer up to Raleigh to get it programmed like his.

Someone please shed some light here..

 

Yeah, if its just the ecm swap you should have no problem. If you changed the vats module from your old car as well it would behave like youre talking.

 

With a fried computer the car will not start but it SHOULD crank, unless it's some VATS issue which you seem to have. (indicated by the security light)
It's probably just cutting the power to the starter.
I have no clue... like I said, it should work just fine. His PCM may be bad.

 

He said something about his computer being programmed to bypass the VATS. Are you saying it has to go through the VATS? If I took the VATS and ignition out of his car and put it in mine with the PCM from his car, would it solve the problem?

 

Your computer is looking for the vats signal to tell it to fire whatever it does (Madman knows).

His computer doesnt care.

Without programming to make your computer work in that car, you need to change the Vats module from your car and the key cylender (or get a key cut with the type of chip in your key)

 

I think there's just something wrong with the computer, especially since VATS is disabled. I swap different computers in cars all the time and never had a security problem.

 

OK reread, realize now I had it backwards, the vats removed computer doesnt work, but the stock type one does right?, If so ignore me...

 

Let me get this straight.

The 95 Trans Am is the car that the engine is going into (from the 94z). The pcm is also coming from the 94z into 95ta. The motor from the Z has already been installed into the TA. When he tried to use the pcm from the 94z on the motor from the 94z, in the 95 TA, the security light came on. However, when he put my pcm (the 95 TA), it ran just fine.

Are you saying it would work if I replaced the VATS and ignition cylinder on the 95 TA with the vats and ignition cylinder from the 94z (where the motor and pcm came from)?

 

I did before, but ignore that, I was thinking in reverse. Is the 95 one of those rare OBD 2 95s?

 

The easiest way to tell is if it had dual cats initially. (factory)

All the 95 OBD 2s I seen before were all in california, so I think that pretty much rules the OBD 2 thing out.I would just get that 95 puter programed for everything. Get a laptop and a cable and have Madman or others send you a E-mail flash. Use the Tunercat- loader.

 

There are no 95s with an OBDII computer. Just an OBDII connector. Still, it doesn't matter, it should crank anyway.
The computer is most likely bad. Get yours programmed or find a replacement for the other one. There's no point in swapping anything else if your PCM is working.

 

Good info, Glad you added that tidbit, I was allways under the impression that it was fully OBD 2.

 

California cars (94 and 95) actually got a slightly different tune with OBD2 nuances, but it's still an OBDI computer and ALL 95s had the OBDII ALDL connector.

Also as far as I know, only automatic cars had dual cats in Cali.