Vats System?

[Shall44]

I have a 99 Trans Am WS6 with a 6-speed manual LS1.

I was away for a while, and the battery died.

When I got back, I replaced the battery, but the car would not start, and the security light was on.

I reprogrammed the key and still got nothing.

I replaced the ignition and had a blank key cut to match, ensuring the new key had the same ohms as the old one.

Still cannot get the car to turn over.

I hooked up a push button to the starter to make sure everything else was working, and I can get the car to start and run for about 5-10 seconds before it cuts off.

I am stumped at this point.

Has anyone experienced this?

I think the security system is cutting the vehicle off because it thinks it’s being stolen.

I appreciate your help.

 

[Pontiac Trans Am]

Are you sure there isn't another security system on the car?

Thank you,
PTA Staff

 

[Shall44]

Are you sure there isn't another security system on the car?

Thank you,
PTA Staff

Just found out that there is a battery in the radio that, when the main battery dies, keeps the Vats system online.

Do you know of any way to reprogram that radio or charge that battery?

 

[Shall44]

The car is entirely original with 70,000 miles, so I am trying to avoid bypassing the security system if at all possible.

 

[chuckitall]

Interesting problem. I actually took the GM training course on the VATS system....back in 1986 !! When that system was first introduced in the C4 Corvettes. It evolved over the years, but my memory fails me as to what all what theft it prevented. The VATS on my 96 Roadmaster, if activated will cut off the starter, the fuel pump and the ECM. On some vehicles with radios with the Theft-Lock feature, I'm pretty sure that may be tied into the anti-theft system. A radio with GM's Theft-lock system has the small Theft-lock logo on the face of the radio with a tiny red L.E.D. light next to it, that flashes every couple seconds, when the car is parked. I had to deal with a few Theft-lock issues the last couple years I work at a GM dealer in the 90's. If the battery went dead on a Theft-Lock car (radio), you had to extract a special code from the radio by pressing the Seek and Scan buttons at the same time, which gave you the 3 digit code, then call into GM's warranty center to get a password to unlock the radio. It was always a real pain in the backside to go through this procedure as I recall. I vaguely remember When the Theft-Lock was introduced on the Trans Ams, that it was tied into the car's anti-theft system.

 

[Shall44]

Interesting problem. I actually took the GM training course on the VATS system....back in 1986 !! When that system was first introduced in the C4 Corvettes. It evolved over the years, but my memory fails me as to what all what theft it prevented. The VATS on my 96 Roadmaster, if activated will cut off the starter, the fuel pump and the ECM. On some vehicles with radios with the Theft-Lock feature, I'm pretty sure that may be tied into the anti-theft system. A radio with GM's Theft-lock system has the small Theft-lock logo on the face of the radio with a tiny red L.E.D. light next to it, that flashes every couple seconds, when the car is parked. I had to deal with a few Theft-lock issues the last couple years I work at a GM dealer in the 90's. If the battery went dead on a Theft-Lock car (radio), you had to extract a special code from the radio by pressing the Seek and Scan buttons at the same time, which gave you the 3 digit code, then call into GM's warranty center to get a password to unlock the radio. It was always a real pain in the backside to go through this procedure as I recall. I vaguely remember When the Theft-Lock was introduced on the Trans Ams, that it was tied into the car's anti-theft system.

Thank you!! I will test that out when I get home and update. I know there is a light on the top of the dash that blinks, not sure about on the radio, but never have actually looked to hard at it.