Starting issue - 92 Seville

[flyrite]

Well, it's time for a second round with my starting issues...

After spending over $400 at a dealership (July 16, 2004)for a new ignition and all new keys it appears I am having issues with the security system again.

HOWEVER, it's a little strange this time. I pulled to a stop in a parking lot turned off my ignition and decided, "I'm parked a little crooked." So I go turn on my ignition and I get the "STARTING DISABLED, WAIT THREE MINUTES" schtick. Now it hasn't done this for years so i figured maybe it was an anomally or I did something.

I wait for three minutes and it does it again. Now I am yelling at the car and at anyone who will listen at FOUR THIRTY IN THE MORNING. I wait again.

So I try again.

1. This time there is no STARTING DISABLED warning.I turn the key all the way to start it and the dash goes blank and there's silenece. I return the key to the first on position and after a second the dash lights come back on.

2. BUT now the information is giving me a "FUEL LEVEL VERY LOW" light when I know for a fact my tank has 11 gallons in it.

3. I immediately think it's possibly the battery. So, I get out and check the battery connections and they're fine.

4. I call for a tow figuring it would be better to work on it from home and maybe i just need a jump.

5. Funny thing - I cannot listen to the stereo. It won't let me but the windows work, the seat heaters work and if the lights are on I get the warning dings. Also the air or heat will attempt to work after about two minutes of letting it sit in the first on position.

6. The readings on the dash are reading as 0.0 battery volts, fuel level very low, coolant temperature is -40 degrees.

Question? Could this be the alternator?

I replaced the alternator last summer. I was getting some tough starts lately like it wanted to turn over a few times before it actually started. I guess the whole “STARTING DISABLED” thing has kind of thrown me for a loop and I don’t want to go around repairing things I don’t need to until I get it right because I just don’t have the money.

You guys have always been great and I really appreciate the help…

Salvatore (Flyrite)

[FredMaxwell]

I remember my 91 seville making me mad and angry when it wanted a high dollar transponder key made,
I soldered a resister between two wires and it never asked for a special key again so that calmed down my nerves.


You,
I think your charging system needs some attention there. Alot of times whent he battery is low everything will act funny and haywire. It could be low because the alternator isn't charging or because the battery is doomed or it could be a loose connection to the alternator.

[flyrite]

Thanks Fred. I'm going to direct my attention towards the alternator. I already spent $30 for a battery. That was probably due anyways, but it did not fix the problem.

[bschelle]

My 99 Deville had the same conditions as yours. Almost exactly!! I replaced the battery but it didn't help. Then I soldered the resistor in the column but SOS! Then I checked all of the fuses and it had a bad fuse. The fuse didn't melt it had a break in it. Popped in a new one a no problems since. I don't recall which fuse but it was a 5 amp. I will pop the hood today and let you know which fuse it was.

[flyrite]

Thanks bschelle.
Here's the scoop so far.
and I have another question.

I have a friend who is a mechanic. He had the alternator tested and it was not the culprit. What he found was a shorted wire and a fuse blown like on bschelle's.

Here's PROBLEM#2 now:
The starting disabled message is back and won't allow us to start the car anyways. So now I am waiting for him to try the popular VATS resistor bypass.

In the meantime, can anyone answer this for me? If the resistor in the key has drifted off the required ohmage I should be able to use another copy of my key to start it right?

But that does not work. This key was working last summer. So if we try to add a resistor that matches the keys to trick the VATS system how is that going to work? It is not recognizing that ohm value anyway. I guess I'm confused on that part.

Also, the dealer I went to the first time who talked me out of doing the bypass and talked me into replacing my ignition cylinder and charging me $400 to do that, should they be held responsible for working further on this?
The work was done in July of 2004. I mean a fix like that should last longer than one and a half years or 14,000 miles right?

and if I do have it towed to the dealership to have them inspect their previous work and the parts and they decide that they want to tell me now that it's the VATS and not the ignition and want to charge me, what is my recourse?
WTF?!

any help would be appreciated.

[flyrite]

I actually wen t out and tried to start it again and now it's doing exactly the same thing it was doing when we started. No "starting disabled" message now, it's takes about a couple seconds for the dash to light up at all and when it does it has bad information (fuel level very low, 0.0 batttery volts, etc.) and when you turn the key fully the dash just goes black.
this is apparently after it gave the starting disabled message once right after my buddy replaced that fuse.
this is what happened to start the problem.

We're going to try the resistor bypass so I'll let you know that outcome but in the meantime does anyone have any ideas?

thanks

[flyrite]

Okay here's the laundry list....

replaced the battery
replaced a 50 amp fuse
bypassed VATS
checked all fuses - found that the 50 amp fuse keeps getting blown
alternator was tested and functions

still when I turn the key the dash just goes black and there's nothing.

PLEASE HELP

[flyrite]

anyone have any ideas?

[flyrite]

wow I didn't know I left this one unresolved. this ended up being the oil sending unit. Apparently it was bad and shorting with the oil leaking into it.