HHHEEEEEEAAAAALLLPPPPP starting my car!

Here's the story: everyone in a while over the last year the car would not start. I waited. It started.

Learned about VATS, did nothing. AC blew out on me, replaced system, alternator, new battery last summer.

Car has not started a few times in the past few months. Gave it time, started up after a wait.

REGRETFULLY sold the wagon last Friday night to a really deserving kid.

He drove 3 miles stopped for gas, no start.

The PASS light has NEVER flashed, just done the temp gauge to max/clicking/no start that seems typical of the PASS.

Well the car has been sitting at the place is stopped for 3 days. I try to start it everyday, nothing.

Finally did the Bypass on the VATS. No start, think I may have set it off and not waited long enough.
Started fine this afternoon. I cut it on and off a few times, cranked right up. Drove it home, cranked it a few times, perfect!

This evening(hour later)no start, back to the clicking temp gauge max deal. Went out to eat for an hour or so.
Hot home cranked right up.

I figured a weak battery from a thread I read. Hooked up the charger, says 85%.

I'm really at wits end. Anyone with any experience or ideas? The current VATS bypass is just with an older key, I could not find resistors I needed after destroying a old toaster so used an old key as a temp. (Yes I checked the resistance and it was correct)
HHHEEEEEEAAAAALLLPPPPP!! I'd really appreciate it!

Temp gauge on max? Sounds like a bad ground somewhere

It just momentarily clicks over, I've seen it happening in almost every video I've seen on YouTube of roadmasters not starting.

Well,. seeing as i am a dummy,. please explain better,..

it doesn't start,.. can mean a plethora of things,.

you are saying you turn the key but the starter doesn't engage,.

then you bypassed the vats,.How?

Then you say after bypassing the vats it still doesn't start? cranking over or starter doesn't engage?

I,d check the auxillary battery post up by the wipers,.

imho as eric says you have a bad connection,.

IF you wire around the vats, by taking the key switched starter engage power wire and either taking it to the starter or hooking it into the yellow wire,.

then the starter will crank every time,. unless you have a poor connection...somewhere

does it click once or many times ?

Once

When the VaTs goes, it's usually the sensor so a different key doesn't matter.
Ditto on checking the grounds and the aux post connections.

Also I'd make sure your vats connection bypass has a good connection. You can google how to combine resistors to get the right level. I've bypassed 3 cars and years later they all still crank every time. It's not difficult but you need to be in the proper range for it to work. Resistors are dirt cheap online or at local radio shack (if you can find one anymore)

A what shack?

Stingroo wrote:

A what shack?

Funny,young'un

I think you're going down the garden path with VATS. Do you have a Factory Service Manual (FSM) ? IF so, look under "charger and starting - Starter Solenoid Clicks, Engine does not crank" If not, PM me your email address and I I will send you the appropriate diagram.

Essentially the 3 possible outcomes of the flow chart are:
- Replace starter assembly
- Replace negative battery cable
- Replace positive battery cable

That being said, I'd check the grounds (including the neg battery cable and the shitty body ground) but also G100, on the front of RH cylinder head.

The reason I mentioned the temp gauge is because the temp sender is usually a one wire with the engine block being ground. If the ground is bad between the engine and the body, the temp gauge will do all sorts of wacky stuff since it's shoveling ground current where ever there is a path.

As many have pointed out check your grounds and as Jason said the ones at the front of the drivers side head. There are 3 wires grounded at the coil. Mine broke it it let me sit. If heat were effecting a partially broken wire it would do this.