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Troubleshooting Steps

There are a few things you must do first before starting. You will need to determine where you are stuck in the troubleshooting process.

I will be using wording like “most likely” and “probably” often because of the nature of VATS. Even if something is a clear indicator to a VATS issue, it’s still not 100% that it’s VATS. Many troubleshooting sessions have resulted in many different problems ranging all over the place with these cars. Use this guide as a “most likely case scenario” if all other answers point to VATS and you have no other indications of anything else being wrong with your car.

The actual repair/bypass steps will be listed each in their own VATS Help section by Corvette model year. This page is only used for troubleshooting to figure out what to do next. There are more technical troubleshooting steps you can take, but these are the most basic easy to follow steps to use when getting started.

Do any or all of the following, write down your experience an/or answers.

  1. Is there a constant blinking security light on the dash?
    1. Yes – Most likely VATS
    2. No – Check to make sure the light bulb for the Security light, and all fuses in the entire car are good.
  2. Turn your key to the ON position, but do not start/crank. Do you hear a soft whirring sound behind the passenger seat area? This is the fuel pump priming.
    1. Yes – The lock cylinder and key most likely works (for now)
    2. No – The lock cylinder or key may have failed.
      • Try bypassing the lock cylinder
      • Try reprogramming the ECU
  3. Try starting the car, does the Starter engage?
    1. Yes – The Start Enable Relay is most likely good.
    2. No
      • The Start Enable Relay may be at fault. Either replace or bypass.
      • Using a set of jumper cables, you can attempt to connect the positive battery terminal to the positive post on the starter while turning the key to the Start position. If the engine turns over and starts, it’s most likely the Start Enable Relay.
      • The Starter could also be bad, have a local parts store check it.
  4. No Security Light, Fuel Pump primes, Starter engages, but still no start
    1. You may have some other issue that is not VATS related.
    2. Various VATS components may be functioning, but the BCM or something else in the VATS system may not be sending the “all clear” code to the computer. If you’re still convinced this is a VATS issue, your only other option is to have the computer reprogrammed. If your car has an older EPROM style chip, you will need to contact any number of vendors (there’s several in the USA) to have a new EPROM chip programmed with all of VATS removed. If your car has a newer style of re-programmable computer, you can visit any performance shop or dealership that handles General Motors vehicles and they can remove all of VATS for you. If  this doesn’t take care of it, then it most likely wasn’t VATS.

I will write a more comprehensive guide one of these days. This is the first update I’ve done to the site in over a decade.

Copyright 2022
  • Home
  • Abandoned Travels
    • Abandonments >
      • 2014-2015 >
        • Mayo Urbex
        • Howey Mansion
        • Uncle James Farmhouse
        • Coffee Farmhouse 01
        • Barber Homestead
        • Fallout Shelter
      • 2013 >
        • CMX Construction
        • Orange House 01
        • Fertilizer Plant
        • Egg Plant
        • Box Plant
        • Ellaville Bridge Revisited
        • Gold Kist Farms Silos
        • Lafayette House 03
        • Columbia House 01
        • Columbia Barn 01
        • Cash's Towing
        • Coastal Revisited
        • Suwannee Shack
        • Hernando House 01
        • Lafayette House 02
        • Lafayette House 01 Revisited
        • Lafayette Chimney Revisited
        • Lafayette Quarry Revisited
        • Williston Urbex
        • Elljay Garage
      • 2012 >
        • Suwannee Barn 01
        • Coastal Service Center
        • Lafayette Quarry
        • Lafayette Chimney
        • Lafayette House 01
        • Lafayette Trailer 01
        • Ellaville
        • Gilcrest House 01
        • Georgia Quarry
        • Family Farmhouse
      • 2010-2011 >
        • Citrus Shack
        • Citrus House 01
        • Georgia House 01
        • Bahia Honda
    • Travels >
      • Italia >
        • Venezia
        • Firenze
        • Amalfi Coast
        • Roma (Coming Eventually)
      • France >
        • Catedral de Notre Dame
      • Cuba
      • United States >
        • Key Largo
        • Smoky Mountains
        • Jasper
        • Shenandoah National Park
        • Colorado 01
        • Colorado 02
        • High Shoals Falls
    • Nature >
      • Super Wolf Blood Moon
    • Water >
      • Blue Heron Bridge 04
      • Blue Heron Bridge 03
      • Ginnie Springs 02
      • Ginnie Springs 01
      • Ginnie Springs 03
      • Blue Heron Bridge 02
      • Blue Heron Bridge 01
  • Games
    • MTG Arena >
      • Arena Sleeve Gallery >
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery Home
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2023
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2022
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2021
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2020
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2019
        • Arena Sleeve Gallery 2017/2018
      • Arena Sleeve Quick Gallery
      • MTG Arena
      • My Arena Gameplay Data
    • Magic: The Gathering
    • Star Wars: Destiny
    • Diablo Immortal
    • Fallout 76
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Energy Drinks
  • VATS Sucks
    • VATS Sucks Welcome
    • My Story
    • Troubleshooting Steps
    • VATS Help >
      • 1984-1985
      • 1986-1989 >
        • Passkey Ignition Switch
        • Start Enable Relay
        • VATS Cranking Fuel Enable Signal
        • Schematics
      • 1990 >
        • Start Enable Relay
        • VATS Fuel Enable Signal to ECM
        • Schematics
      • 1991 >
        • Schematics
      • 1992 >
        • Info
        • Schematics
      • 1993 >
        • Info
        • Schematics
      • 1994-1996
      • ZR1
  • Stuff
    • Cars
    • Budget Finds
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    • Blahg
  • About