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My daughter’s Lesabre won’t start or crank. Starter does not click. Battery is fully charged, and battery connections are fine. All the lights and stuff come on when I turn the key, but no crank/no start. I (accidentally) jumped the short terminals on the back of the starter, and when I did that starter engaged and cranked fine. Another thing I understand needs to be checked is the Airbag/VATS fuse, and that fuse is fine and has continuity. I also know that the Starter Enable relay needs too be checked, and that is where I am stuck. The Alldata diagram indicates that the relay is just under the plastic shielding under the dash, right next to the OBD II Data port. I have removed the shielding, and I see the OBD II port, but I don’t see the relay. Any ideas? Thanks, Pop
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Relay should be on the fuse block, towards the top, I believe. Might need to maneuver around to look up from the floor board!
Starter doesn’t click? So it isn’t receiving power, which would indicate either a loose/corroded connection, or the relay. So, definitely check the relay out first. Use another relay from another slot to plug into the socket and test it. If it works with a different relay, then that was your problem. 😀
I can see the fuse block, the starter enable relay is definitely not in there. The Alldata diagram indicates it is at the steering column near the OBD II. But when I go to where the area indicated by the diagram, I can see the OBD II but not the relay. The diagram and a couple pix of the area in question on my car are attached.
I can see the fuse block, the starter enable relay is definitely not in there. The Alldata diagram indicates it is at the steering column near the OBD II. But when I go to where the area indicated by the diagram, I can see the OBD II but not the relay. The diagram and a couple pix of the area in question on my car are attached.
What do you mean “jumped the starter?” Did you run cables from the battery to the starter or did you use a screw driver to connect the terminals on the starter? I would suspect the starter has gone bad. Give it a few solid whacks with a hammer then try starting the car. You can narrow down the search by hooking a test light or multimeter up to the lead coming from the ignition switch.
In the process of trying to run a wire from the battery to the starter I inadvertently jumped the two small terminals on the back of the starter — twice, and the starter fired right up and turned the engine over just fine. I concluded from that that the starter is fine. Was I incorrect?
Don’t bother running that line. The fact that jumping the posts engaged the starter is inconclusive. Check for current (while someone tries to start it) with a test light or multimeter. This will tell you definitively whether you have current coming from the ignition switch. If you do have current; the starter is bad. If you do not have current; use your testing device to follow the lines (with a wiring schematic) until you find the fault.
Or you can try hitting it with a hammer a few times. If it starts after hitting it, then you need a new starter.OK, I verified again that I have a fully charged battery. I also checked for voltage at the starter terminal with key in START. Zero voltage. I noticed that the SECURITY light flashes on the dashboard when key is in start position. I am starting to suspect this has something to do with the passive security system on this car, which uses a resistor thing on the key and presumably some kind of resistance check in the ignition. Out of curiosity I put the key in the RUN position and ran a wire from the battery positive to the S terminal on the Starter. When I touched the wire to the positive battery terminal, the starter engaged and cranked the engine just fine, but the engine did not fire. To my untrained mind this is a little more evidence that the security system is keeping this thing from starting, because from what I have read the security system also shuts down the injectors. Can the security module be bypassed? No one is going to steal a 95 Lesabre, we just want this thing to start when we turn the key. Any ideas appreciated!
I also believe the problem is in the VATS. The confirmation is the flashing security light when trying to start the car. Do you have another key for this car to try? It (the VATS) could just need reprogramming (dealer service). If it has gone completely out there are bypass kits that you can purchase and install. It’s not just a cut-and-splice type procedure. You will need a kit to bypass the system, because it requires installing a frequency counter/signal generator to spoof the OK signal from the VATS that the ECU is looking for.
I have tried both keys we have for the car, and neither can start the car. These keys are not programmable per se, they just have a resistor block on the key shaft, which measures 680 ohms. From some reading I have done, I now need to check the resistance at a connector of two small white wires coming out of the steering column. That should tell me if the problem is the ignition lock cylinder or not.
I didn’t mean reprogram the keys, they are not programmable. I meant reprogram the VATS. BTW, your VATS is type #3 with ~680 ohms. Spec is 681 ohms for type #3, just in case you need to know that detail.
I don’t know man. Those ’95 Buicks are a hot commodity.
I didn’t even realize these had anti-theft systems.
It looks like you guys got it figured out, but here is a video I found. Hopefully you can figure out how to bypass it. I’ve never done anything like that before:I think what I am going to do is purchase and install a kit to bypass the VATS system. Anyone have a particular kit they recommend I buy? Thanks, Pop.
[quote=”popoften” post=135740]I think what I am going to do is purchase and install a kit to bypass the VATS system. Anyone have a particular kit they recommend I buy? Thanks, Pop.[/quote]
Check these out. You only need the “standard” model, $35.00. I’ve never ordered from them, so that is not a personal endorsement, but this is the kind of product you are looking for.
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